Might As Well Be A Walker
by tiffini42112
Summary: Talitha is now a x navy wife, how is she going to make it in this new world? She has nothing to live for, that is until a special cross bow wielding redneck comes into the picture. Will she get over the death of her wonderful navy husband and find new love, or will she spiral down into the depressing black abiss that this world has become? Daryl D./OC Merle D./OC Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Might As Well Be A Walker

Tilitha p.o.v.-

As I sat on my bedroom floor, my knees pulled to my chest I couldn't help but scream. I knew it was pointless but the hurt was to much I couldn't just sit there any longer. I started screaming profanities that I didn't even knew I knew, threw things, and punched walls. After everything we had been through the fighting the arguing and finally, after him coming home from his military time served in Japan, the making up and we had ended like this? I don't know when but somewhere between all the cursing yelling throwing and punching I blacked out.

When I came to I found myself face down on the floor, a stinging pain on my belly. Upon further examination I found that the stinging pain was caused by glass shards from a vase I knocked on the floor during my rant and fell on when I blacked out. That's when I hear the sound that I would later find I would be hearing the rest of my life, a low moan mixed with the shuffling of feet across the floor. I turned around just in time to see the no longer lifeless body of my husband lung at me snarling and trying to bite me. Instinctively I braced my forearm against his chest fighting him off of me, my body filled with adrenalin was strong enough to push him down on the bed and made my legs move fast enough to escape his lunging attach, I felt his hand grab at my leg before I slammed the door on him.

"What the heck is going on? A crazed cannibal comes into my room, eats my husband, I kill it, and then my husband rises from the dead like some cheesy zombie out of a movie and tries to eat me?" I said breathing heavily. With my back against the door I reached into my shorts pocket, pulled out my cell phone an dialed 911, nothing. I then proceeded to call practically every number in my contacts list on my cell phone. Nothing, no one was answering me. I left my post at the bedroom boor to look out the hall window what I found made the cannibal look like child's play.

Blood and bodies littered the streets, people were yelling and screaming while the cannibal people ran after them. "Ok Lila you have to think." I said to myself. There is a mass panic going on outside my house and judging from the lack of response to phone calls I'm assuming its at least state wide. What to do what to do? Military! If anyone could defend and protect it has to be the military that's what ill do.

Ill go to the closest navy base, flash my military ID and bodda boom I'm safe. I hope. Problem is the closest navy base is in Gulfport Mississippi, that's 8 hours away, and something tells me that gas isn't going to come easily or cheap. Its just me so motorcycle it is I don't have my license but I don't care, I know how to drive it and I'm good at it.

I go to the hall closet, pull out two duffel bags and a backpack then proceed to fill them with things I think would be useful. I start with putting clothes, tennis shoes, pictures and personal hygiene products into the backpack. I sling that onto my back them move on to the duffle bags I fill the first with my husbands guns and ammunition for each. I also stick a taser in the bag, you never know it, might come in handy.

The second duffle bag ends up getting filled with every non perishable food product from my kitchen along with half a case of bottled waters. I then remember that it is going to start getting dark soon so I grab every flash light I had in the house, then I ran to the garage to collect the stash of batteries. I see a shine out of the corner of my eye. My dads bow. I don't know why but something was telling me to take it on this trip It, like the taser, had the potential of being very useful considering I'm a better aim with the bow than I am with a gun, having grew up with a dad that practically thought he was a Native American. He taught me well even though I never went hunting with him, just target practice to satisfy his bugging me. So I grabbed the bow, finger guard, arm guard, and stuffed the quiver with arrows from the overflowing five gallon bucket. My father had also passed one of his hunting knives to my husband and me, so I grabbed it and secured to the belt I was wearing. I deposited the lights and batteries into the back pack for easy access, then the quiver, arm guard, and finger guard along with the rest of the arrows from the bucket went into the guns and ammo bag.

Was there anything I was forgetting? Yes, my cell phone charger, it is in the bedroom where what used to be my husband is still pounding away at the door. That means I am going to have to kill my husband… I started tearing up again. "No Lila he's not your husband anymore. Your husband died in your arms. This thing was someone else, someone else who is trying to kill you. You have to give your husbands body some peace." I said trying to convince myself.

What is the best way to kill one of these people? After thinking about it I realized the cannibal that killed my husband didn't go down until I hit in on the head with my tripod that was sitting the corner of my bedroom. So it has to be the head. Great. With that I take a deep breath, release it then I open the door. What used to be my husband lunges at me for the final time as I brace my forearm against his chest and plunge the hunting knife deep in his skull. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud. This is the first real look I get at him. He looks nothing like he used to.

My husband had pretty blue eyes, perfectly messy hair and tanned skin from working out in the hot sun as a navy Seabee. The only resemblance left was his dark hair. This creatures eyes were blood shot and the color was now a milky white, his clothing was bloody and his skin was as white as a sheet of paper. I felt more tears surfacing my eyes and I blinked them back I was finished with mourning my dead husband. No amount of tears are going to bring him back.

With that I bent down and took the dog tags off of his neck. I took one off of the chain and laid it on his bare chest, if someone came in I wanted them to see that he was once a man of honor. I took his wedding ring off his finger and slipped it onto the chain as well I then secured it to my neck. These items would be a part of him I would always carry with me.

I slung the backpack onto my shoulders, I didn't know how to carry the bow so I sling it across my back, having the string across my chest, the curved part fit perfectly over the backpack. I carried the bags to the garage and secured them to the bike. With everything in place I sat down, put on the large helmet, slipped on my husbands riding gloves, then started up the motor. I rode up to the garage door button and punched it the door slowly started sliding up when the street came into view, I saw what seemed like fifty cannibals running towards me. Ducking I gunned the motorcycle and flew out of the garage and in the direction of the navy Seabee base.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The gulf port navy base was a bust, it was burnt to the ground not one single building was left standing and it was crawling with walkers. Thankfully they cant run as fast as my motorcycle and I easily outran them. In the past nine hours the bow proved its usefulness, because the gun just attracted the things and made the task at hand harder than it needed to be. When I had stopped at a little convenience store to pick up tools to siphon gas I had used a hand gun the noise attracted the walkers and had nearly gotten me killed.

I managed to keep them at bay long enough to grab a hose to siphon the gas and jump on my bike to get away. I later stopped at another convenience store and use the bow I felt like a ninja or something when I snuck around corners and silently took down the walking dead people. When I was sure the coast was clear I went to the bodies, put my foot on the head and yanked on the arrows as they came out with a sickening slurping sound. I had never been weak stomached sp the smell and sound didn't really bother me. I grabbed the gas can and got out of the place. Not stopping till I got to the naval base.

My next task after the base was to find a safe place to sleep that wasn't filled with dead people. I figured I would try and find a hotel. I was weaving through the wreckage and random walkers on the highway when my headlight landed on the small now abandoned motel. I broke into the main office to find one walker, I easily took it down with the hunting knife.

Luckily this motel didn't use a computer to keep up with which rooms were filled. I flipped through the book and found a vacant room, grabbed the shiny metal key to room 14. I encountered few walkers as I found my was to the room. When I unlocked the door I breathed a sigh of relief to find the book had been right it was vacant. In the room was a dresser, TV stand, a small table and chairs, and a clean double bed.

"How and I going to sleep without you after two years of you laying next to me?" I whispered the question to the sky, shut the door and went back to my motorcycle grabbed my bags then went to the room. My dinner consisted of a can of brown sugar and cinnamon carrots and a bottle of water. I ventured into the bathroom to see if the water worked. It did, so I took a quick cold shower, changed then practically fell into the bed.

Sleep didn't come easily there was a lingering coldness where Kayde was usually presses into my back. Just this morning he was laying next to me in bed telling me how beautiful I was, now he is gone and he's not coming back. I drifted of to sleep with Kayde on my mind and tears in my eyes.

_"Come here." Kayde said patting the bed. Pulling off my black and silver conservative cocktail dress and throwing on one of Kayde's old work shirts, I went and sat on the edge of the bed._

_"What's up?" I asked. He sat on the floor at my feet, grabbed the bottle of baby lotion off of the night stand and proceeded to massage my tired feet. "Oh my god that feels so good." He just smirked at me in response. "How did I get so lucky? You treat me like a queen, I don't deserve it."_

_"Shut up. You know you deserve this, you cook like a professional chef, you do the laundry, clean the house till its spotless, and you maintain the best image of all the navy wives on this base. Not to mention that you put up with my stubborn ass. So yeah you do deserve to be treated like a queen." I should have kept my mouth shut. I knew he hated it when I downed myself._

_"Ok I'm sorry. Your right so keep massaging." He laughed as he stopped massaging my foot and stood up._

_"I'll do you one better." He said before he kissed me while laying me down on the bed. His kisses moved along my jaw line, and down to my neck where he gently bit down causing a gasp followed by a moan to flow from my lips._

I sat straight up in the bed gasping for air. Hot tears streamed down my face. "What are you doing? He's not coming back. So stop blubbering like a little baby you have to move on. You just have to keep moving"

But where to? Just because the navy base was a goner didn't mean that the other military bases were gone to did it? Well, I guess that's my nest move. My knowledge of military base locations was limited so I guess the closest one is Fort Rucker in Alabama, so that's were ill go.

I peeked out of the window between the curtains the sun was starting to come up time to get moving. I ate a package of cheese and peanut butter snack crackers before brushing my teeth and packing up my stuff and securing to my bike. I then ran to the little office and grabbed a road map and a pen and mapped out the path to my destination. Once I knew the direction I needed to go I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

I was glad to be on the road again it didn't feel right just sitting around in a motel room being still made me feel…venerable. Feeling the wind against my skin as I flew by countless walkers before they even saw me coming made me feel better.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do not intend to receive profit for my stories. They are purely for the entertainment of others and to give me something to do with my ongoing boredom.**

**A/N: please leave reviews. i would love to hear your thoughts on my story. FanFicGirl10 i'll see what i can do with merle. Hes just to Fun of a character to leave out of this. On with the story.**

Chapter 3

The past two military bases were also a bust. The gates of Fort Rucker were over run with the undead. I had walked a small part of the perimeter only to find that all the walkers inside the gates wore military uniforms. None of them had gotten out in time.

I got back on my ever steady bike with my head hanging low. I was starting to feel like this never ending journey was stupid and pointless. But I wasn't going to give up there had to be help, or other living people alive somewhere. I couldn't be the only living person if I was then I might as well be a walker as well. A lonely life would be no life at all.

My next destination was Fort Benning in Georgia. It was a ghost base not one walker as outside pressing against the sturdy fence. I took that as a good sign until I noticed the uncovered windows of the buildings on the base. Every window I looked at had walkers pressed against it trying to get out. Stores, homes, office buildings, not one sign of life.

I took that as my sign to leave. I knew I should have at least gone inside to try and find any survivors but I was quickly loosing any fight I had left in me. It was looking more and more like there was no hope. I was weak from rationing my food supplies, and my stock of arrows was quickly dwindling down. I couldn't manage to get them all back every time I stopped for gas.

Ok so I would just try for another military base I guess. Jesus this was getting old, military base to useless military base. "This is the last time, the last military base. If you don't meet another living person soon you're opting out. There is no point in living in a lonely shitty world." I told myself out loud.

With that I straddled my Honda ST1300, flattened out the wearing map on the gas tank, and mapped my way to Fort McPherson. I didn't exactly know where the base was located, but I knew it was near Atlanta. I would just search till I found it. The bike started on the first try.

"Trusty Honda is the only thing I can count on" I said as I pulled the helmet on. I kicked off and was headed to Atlanta. The ride had surprisingly been a quite one not many walkers on back roads I was taking. I had decided to keep to back roads assuming there would be less of a walker population on them.

Everything was going fine until I started seeing the signs "turn back", "walkers ahead", "city's not safe". I couldn't help but laugh, "The whole world isn't safe these days why should this city be different than all the others?" I thought as I ignored the signs and kept on driving. I had passed the last sign and was weaving in and out of the vacant cars when I saw it. Another motorcycle headed my way.

I didn't really know what to do or think this having been my first sight of the living since the world went to shit. I slowed, pulled over on the side of the road and turned off my engine. I kept my helmet on not wanting to show my face yet and waved to the other person, seamed to be the friendly thing to do. The other rider saw me, and came to a stop a yard away from me.

I gave him an once-over before he stepped off his bike. His boots were dirty, jeans worn, torn and covered in grease, a faded red plaid shirt stuck out from the bottom of a black leather vest. His messy hair was dirty blond, from actual dirt? I didn't know. His eyes narrowed at me as he stepped off of his motorcycle and took a couple steps toward me.

"You gonna speak or do I need to assume you're a motorcycle driving geek?" the gruff voice startled me and I realized my once-over had turned into full on staring. In my examination I missed the crossbow aimed at me.

"Geek?" I asked with my helmet still on so it ended up being inaudible to him. He gave me a confused and impatient look. I quickly pulled my helmet off "Geek?"

"Yeah, you know those walking dead people that try to eat ya?" he said sarcastically. I was never good with sarcasm.

"Oh. I just call them walkers." I said looking at the ground. I didn't know if I could trust this man but if he was the only living person then I was going to give it a try.

"Where ya headed?" he asked seeing the direction I was headed, and dropped the crossbow sights off of me.

"I was looking for Fort McPherson. Thought there might be some help there"

He let out a mocking laugh. "Don't you know there aint no military? If there was they'd be doing something. You can't go into Atlanta anyways; you'll end up walker bait."

"Well shit, what do I do know?" I asked myself more than him. My promise to myself of opting out was not out the window, because I had met another living person. I now felt I tiny bit of hope but still felt lost. Also this world was giving me a potty mouth. Used to you could make me curse unless I was very very angry.

"You could always follow me back to our camp. I'm sure the oth-"

"You mean there are other people alive!?" I cut him off, excited to hear that he said "our" and not "my".

"Yeah, If you would let me finish. I was gonna say that the other women would probably like your help and company" he said roughly. "Course it means another mouth for me to feed" he whispered the last part under his breath, but I still caught it.

"Thank you so much! Ill so what ever I need to do to pull my weight" I said excitedly. He just grunted and got back on his bike.

"Well woman, you comin or not? Aint got all day." He said and got on his bike. I rushed to get my helmet on and started my bike I saw him smirk at how easily it started. Then he took off and I followed after.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do not intend to receive profit for my stories. They are purely for the entertainment of others and to give me something to do with my ongoing boredom.

**Chapter 4**

We rode our motorcycles up a dirt road on the mountain side for what seamed like hours. In all reality the ride to camp took just thirty minutes. It was nice not having to keep a lookout for walkers as we rode, so I used my spare time to study the man on the bike in font of me. The tattered angel wings on the back of his leather vest seamed to be a little ironic. This man no matter how rough he seamed had saved me, and he didn't even know it. I made a mental not to thank him later.

Things seamed quiet and, well, normal as we pulled into camp. People were sitting around a now smoldering camp fire. Lady's were folding clothes while men cleaned there guns. No body looked up when they heard motorcycles pull in; it was only when I left mine running a little longer after he killed his that they seamed to notice they had a visitor. Next thing I knew I was surrounded by people and bombarded with questions. I didn't know which question to answer first; I was just standing there with a stunned look on my face, when someone finally stepped in.

"Hey. Hey!" every one turned to face the guy who intervened. "Why don't you all just back off and give the girl room to breath." He spoke to everyone, and they quickly dispersed. He then turned and extended his hand to me "Officer Shane Walsh"

"Talitha Hall, nice to meet you." I said grasping his hand and shaking it.

"Well, why don't we get you settled? I'm assuming you're going to be staying a while?" he said after he dropped my hand and began to walk away.

"Yeah, I don't really have anything else to do" I said and looked around at the other people noticing the first man I met was no where to be seen.

"You coming?" he asked and I realized he had been meaning for me to follow him.

"Yeah, I'm comin." I was looking at the tents as we passed by them. I could easily tell which one belonged to the man that found me, because his motorcycle was parked beside it.

"Home sweet home" we had stopped walking and were standing in front of a small black and red tent. "Make yourself feel at home, Get some rest if you need it. We will all be out here if you need us, and someone will let you know when dinners ready."

"Ok. Thanks" I said but he was already walking away. I ducked into the tent; there was a battery powered lamp and a sleeping bag on the floor. "It's not an actual bed but its something. Be better if Kayde was here" was my last thought before I drifted into sleep.

_"I'll do you one better." He said before he kissed me while laying me down on the bed. His kisses moved along my jaw line and down to my neck where he gently bit down causing a gasp and a moan to flow from my lips. Suddenly his head jerked up, a look of pain was on his face. Blood splattered all over my face and shirt. I pulled out from under him and screamed at the sight in front of me. A chunk of flesh and meat was torn out of my husbands' neck. A man stood with the chunk of my husbands' neck in his teeth. He then lunged at me, I pushed and kicked at him but it didn't seam to be hurting him. I screamed and punched when I saw his teeth headed for my shoulder._

"Shush shush. Its ok, you're ok." Someone was whispering to me and holding my arms down. They released me; I sat up on my pallet, wiped the tears off of my face and looked around. I could make out the figure of a woman in front of me in the darkness of my tent.

"Who's there?" I asked breathlessly.

"It's just me. Hi my name is Carol." She answered timidly.

"Uh, hi Carol. May I ask what you're doing in my tent?" I asked a little more harshly than I intended.

"I was sent to tell you that dinner is ready. When I got close to your tent I heard you screaming, so I came in to see what was wrong. You were thrashing about like a little kid pitching a fit. You almost punched me in my face."

"Oh. Sorry bout that. You said suppers ready?"

"Yeah. Follow me." She gestured with her hand for me to follow so I got up and followed her. On our way to the camp fire we passed a man I had not seen yet.

"Nice piece of ass you found there bro." he said to the man who found me on the road as I passed their tent. Carol and I just kept on walking.

"Carol who are those men?" I asked as we neared the camp fire.

"The one that led you here is Daryl Dixon. The other man is his brother Merle."

"Hmm ok." I sat on a log across the fire from Carol who was sitting with an unshaven heavy set man on one side of her and a blond headed little girl on the other. I was startled as a woman with wavy blond hair sat down next to me.

"Hi, names Andrea." She said extending her hand.

"Talitha." I said shaking her offered hand. "Y'all can call me Lyla if y'all want. What's for dinner?"

"Rabbit and canned carrots" another woman spoke from the log bench next to the one Andrea and I was sitting on. She waved and smiled "I'm Lori Grimes and this is my son Carl."

"Nice to meet ya'll. You said we're having rabbit for supper?" I asked. I hear a snort from across the fire.

"What's the matter city girl? You never had rabbit before? Cause if not then your gonna have to get used to it." The man named merle spoke as he was leaning against the door frame of a RV. He had an amused smile on his face. I knew guys like him, he thought he could embarrass me, he thought wrong.

"For your information I'm not a city girl, I love rabbit. I don't think I can get tired of eatin rabbit, squirrel and dear." I said. Someone handed me a plate and I took a bite. "Mmm just like mum used to make." I gave him a smug smirk. "Actually, if I remember correctly, my uncle gave me a pet rabbit when I was ten; I shot it, skinned it and gave it to mom to cook." I knew I had won when he snorted and walked towards his tent.

"Did you really do that?" Andrea asked with a grossed out look on her face.

"Na. I only said that to get under merle's skin. I do like rabbit, squirrel, and dear meat though. This is really good. Who killed it?"

"Merle and Daryl, they are the hunters of the group. They can be a little rough around the edges but they keep us fed so we don't complain." Shane spoke from across the fire.

"Rough around the edges is not the word for it. Have you seen what that asshole did to my eye?" the kid that spoke was a skinny Korean boy looked to be about 18 or 19. He was wearing a ball cap and I could just make out the remnants of a black eye.

"Aww quit complaining Glenn; you called him a stupid redneck to his face. Kind of means you deserved it. You don't bite the hand that feeds you son." Shane told the boy. Glenn gave him a go to hell look in return. "Ok seams every ones done here. Who's going to take first watch?"

"I will, if that's ok? Seams that I slept half the day, I'm not the least bit tired." I told Shane.

"Ok who wants to go on watch with Talitha?" Shane asked.

"I will" Andrea spoke up.

"No. We need at least one man on watch." He said without even looking at Andrea.

"Egotistical bastard" I head Andrea say under her breath. I just smirked to myself.

"For Fuck sake, I'll do it." Daryl said stepping out of the woods and up onto the roof of the RV.

"Anything else I can do to help?" I asked Lori.

"No, just go join Daryl on watch." She said as she cleared dirty dished from around the camp fire.

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah you got your job assignment. Go have fun." She said mockingly. I already didn't like the woman. She seamed a little to high and mighty for my liking. I climbed up the latter and stepped onto the Roof of the old RV. Daryl just grunted when he saw me. This was going to me a long and awkward watch.

**A/N:** as always please leave reviews and let me know what you think. i am always open to constructive criticism and sugestions.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:**I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do not intend to receive profit for my stories. They are purely for the entertainment of others and to give me something to do with my ongoing boredom.

**A/N:** I thought i would mix it up a little but so i tried to write from Daryl's POV. im not a man so sorry if it sucks.

**Chapter 5**

**Talitha pov-**

We had been sitting in silence for about thirty minuets. It was getting really annoying. With the exception of the sounds of walkers moaning and wind blowing through my helmet, the last three or four days of my life had been quiet. I was fed up with silence. "So, um yeah, I heard you and your brother are the ones responsible for the rabbit I ate tonight." I said nervously. I was never good with starting conversations with complete strangers.

"Humph".

Well he didn't tell me to shut the hell up, so I continued. "I wanted to thank ya for the good food and for bringing me here."

"Welcome" his answer was blunt but I accepted it.

"I'm a pretty good aim with my bow. I never really went huntin much, but I'm sure I can learn."

"Do I look like a teacher to you? Y don't you just stay here with the other ladies and do tha cleanin."

"Oh, so your one of _those_ men" I observed.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Your just another the sexist asshole that thinks women are good for nothing but cleanin the house, cooking and doing laundry." I said. "Same as Shane" I said under my breath.

All of a sudden, I was spun around his hand gripping my shoulder, arm across my chest. My back was pressed against his chest and he held a knife at my throat. "I ain't nothin like that prick, and I ain't sexist so ya best be watchin how ya talk ta me." he said harshly in my ear. I could feel the knife press harder on my neck before he removed it and shoved me away so hard I nearly fell.

"If ya ain't a sexist then teach me to hunt." I wasn't scared of him.

**Daryl pov-**

"Damn it woman, why ya so set on goin huntin?" I said tryin to talk her out of it. If I took her, I'd have to make sure merle didn't come. If she got caught in the woods wit just the two of us she'd be in some trouble, cause Merle wouldn't keep his hands off of her. He's my brother but god the man is a pig.

"I hate doing laundry and cleanin."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" The question didn't help me any, but I couldn't help askin. I had never met a woman that was so set in not actin like a woman. There was just somethin about her I found...interesting, even though I would never admit it out loud.

"I had to clean up after my husband for years, I ain't doin it no more. That perky house wife shits for the birds." I could hear the hurt and disgust in her voice. I don't know why but it broke something in me and I couldn't make her do it. I couldn't make her wash dishes and do laundry just cause she's a woman.

"Fine you can come on the morning hunt with us, but I ain't no teacher. So don't be expectin me ta be, and ya will hafta be quiet, none of this chatty Kathy shit." She seamed content with that for the moment. Bout five minutes later she spoke again.

"What's up with your brother? He seams to be… well a jerk."

Guess I didn't say she couldn't be chatty right now. "Merle's just Merle. Ya just hafta get used to 'em. And just so ya know, it ain't a good idea ta be pushin his buttons like ya did at tha fire ta night. Merle don't like to be made a fool of." Why was I tellen her this? If this was any other girl I would just let her get what she had comin ta her.

"Well, I don't like people makin a fool outa me either and that's exactly what he was gonna do, so." She said at the same time I heard Shane walk out of Lori's tent. If that man thought he was foolin people he wasn't. Everyone could tell he'd been fuckin that woman.

"Daryl, your shift is over, go get some sleep." Shane said so I climbed down off the roof, anxious to get away form that yappin woman, and to the quiet of mine and Merle's tent. Unfortunately, as I laid in my tent sleep didn't come. My thoughts kept returning to the annoying woman. I couldn't help but notice the healthy curves of her body and the straight raven black hair that flowed perfectly when the wind blew. Her perfect boobs had to at least be a D cup too. "Damn Darylene, Quit being a fuckin pussy, that woman don't want you, you're just a Piece of shit redneck." Merle's voice popped into my head even though he was sound asleep on the other side of the tent.

**Talitha pov-**

"What about me? My shift ain't over?" I asked as Shane got on top of the RV roof.

"Nope, you slept half the day away remember? So you can take a double shift." Shane said. I was starting to really detest this man. He radiated arrogance, it was like some sick cloud surrounding him.

"I never said I was rested enough to take a double shift." I said in protest. I really was getting tired, my nightmare filled sleep wasn't restful.

"Well guess what, I'm the boss around here and when I say you have double watch, then you have double watch. No protesting." He said with an evil sneer.

"Oh? And what are you going to do if I protest? Kill me?" I said mockingly. Man I am really not making a very good first impression. Next thing I knew the man was towering over me near the end of the RV. I hadn't realized just how tall and built he was till then.

"No I'm not going to kill you but if you don't so as I say your going to wish you were dead, or you might just grow to like me." He said before smashing his lips hard against mine and grabbing my ass with both hands pulling my body against his. I pushed at his shoulders and screamed against him mouth until he finally released me.

"What the fuck! I yelled before I jumped off the roof landing perfectly poised then sprinted towards my tent. I duct in, grabbed my pistol taking it off safety and crouched down pointing at the entrance of my tent. I hear foot steps approaching fast and I instantly tensed up, only to relax when I saw messy dirty blond hair pop into my view.

"Holy shit woman, what's the matter with you? I thought a walker was after ya." Daryl said looking relieved.

"No, no walker" I said with a sigh and sat down on the floor with a thump returning the gun to safety.

"Woman, what happened?" he said. I could tell he was annoyed. He surprised me when he came in and sat down Indian style across from me. I pulled my knees into my chest defensively.

"That son of a bitch threatened me, told me to do whatever he told me to or else I would whish I was dead or really like him. He tried to…to force himself on me." I said holding back the tears that were trying to spill over.

"Fuckin bastard." He obviously hated the man as much as I did.

"Yeah, apparently he didn't see the ring still on my finger." I said with a huff as a stray tear fell down my cheek and I quickly swiped it away. I refused to cry because of that jackass.

"Shane don't give a damn about that." He said in an attempt to comfort me I guess. I didn't even know why he was still in my tent. Any other camp member probably would have just left when they saw that there wasn't a walker after me.

"Shane don't, but… you do?" the question left my lips before I could stop it. It was dark in the tent, the lamp offered little light, and I thought I saw a slight blush on his face. I couldn't believe it _I _made _him_ blush.

"Well… yeah. I'm not gonna sleep with or even hit on a woman if she's married. Rather or not the husband is still alive or not doesn't matter, even though he's not here", he motioned around the tent, "he's here." He said as he grabbed the chain around my neck and shook it, the red on his cheeks deepened. "Well you look better, imma go hit the hay." He got up obviously desperate to leave.

"No!" I said and grabbed his hand with out thinking. I dropped it as fast as I grabbed it, and he stopped and looked at me.

"What?"

"Please don't go? He might see that you left and come after me." I asked pleadingly. I felt so stupid.

"Woman ya don't even know me, and ya want me to sleep in yer tent with ya?" he said with his dirty blond eyebrows raised.

"Well yeah. Ya could be a cereal killer for all I know, but Id rather be killed than I would…raped."

He snorted. "Nice reasoning."

"Please, please don't leave me alone. Please." I was borderline hysteric at this point.

"Fine woman. Let me go get my sleepin bag. Ill be right back." He assured me. I was feeling safer already. He was back before I could even lay down on my sleepin bag. He quickly laid his sleepin bag down and crawled into it. The tent was small so he was about a foot away from me. I hadn't had time to change into something comfortable to sleep in, and I wasn't going to sleep in jeans. So I dug through I bag till I found my blue jean printed pajama pants and stood up.

"Don't look" I said taking off my jeans. Apparently he didn't know what don't look meant because he was looked and he got an eyeful of my pink lace string bikini undies.

"Holy shit woman! What do ya think ya doin?" he asked shocked.

"Getting dressed, I told ya not to look." I said with a giggle. I had never been shy with my body having grown up with nothing nut guys for siblings and cousins. But I still hadn't expected him to actually look. I pulled the night pants on and slid into my sleeping bag.

"Ok, three rules of me sleepin in your tent. One, you keep your clothes on while I'm in here."

"Aww that's no fun." I interrupted him with a giggle. I had never been goos at flirting but I found it to be easy with this man.

"I'm serious."

"Me to but anyways whats number two?" I said in a semi serious voice.

"Number two, I leave out of here early in the morning when every one is still asleep. Three, you keep your babbling trap shut about this, i got a reputation to uphold." He finally finished his little speech, and I couldn't help but wonder if he talked to other people this much. He seemed to be the quiet type when we first met.

"Ha ha, ya'd have a whole new reputation if people found you in here." I giggled but then I saw him stiffen. "Sorry, not funny. So do I need to wake up when you do? We are still making the morning hunt right?"

"Yeah, ill wake ya when its time to go. Now shut it and get some sleep." I didn't drift off to sleep until I noticed his breathing become slow and steady.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do not intend to receive profit for my stories. They are purely for the entertainment of others and to give me something to do with my ongoing boredom.

**Chapter 6**

**Talitha's pov-**

I awoke well rested first time in a long time. I yawned and opened my eyes, I almost freaked at what I saw. Somehow in my dreamless sleep I had scooted over, thrown my arm over Daryl's stomach and my head was resting on his elbow. My face was pressed against his neck, I breathed in deeply, he smelled like trees, dirt and sweat mixed with a hint of his deodorant. It wasn't a bad smell, just a smell that was all Daryl. I didn't know what to do. I knew I should move and get as far away form him as possible, being so close to a man who wasn't my husband felt wrong, but if I did move I'd risk waking him. Ugh what to do, what to do?

"Ya gonna move woman or am I gonna hafta move ya myself?" I hadn't realized during my internal debate that he was awake.

"Sorry." I said as I moved away and sat up cross-legged on my sleeping bag. My hand instantly went to the chain around my neck to fiddle with the dog tag and wedding band nervously. I didn't know how he was going to react to our sleeping position, but he surprisingly didn't get mad.

He noticed me playing with my necklace. "What was yer husband's name?" he asked with a strange look on his face.

"Why?"

"Was it Kayde?" his steel blue eyes never met mine.

I looked at him, stunned. "Yeah. How'd ya know?"

**Daryl's pov-**

I was woken up around one in the morinin to the feeling of something warm on my neck. I was laying on my back with my hands folded behind my head. Talitha had scooted her sleeping bag right next to mine and was pressed to my side, her arm around my waist and her head on my elbow pressed into my neck, explains the warmth I felt there. I was about to move when she spoke.

"Mm yer so warm." She whispered as her arm tightened around my waist, pulling herself tighter to me. I was about to push her off of me but her next words stopped me in my tracks "I love you Kayde." She nuzzled my neck.

"What tha fuck?" I asked silently. I didn't know what to make of this. She was snuggly up to me like her life depended on it and she thought I was her dead husband. I didn't have the heart to pull her off of me and shatter the good thoughts and dreams she might be having. I ended up just letting her cling to me as I drifted of to sleep.

I woke up about four hours later and she was still cuddled up to me. Damn, I was hoping she would move away in her sleep. It was still a little bit early to go hunting so I let her lay there. I was actually starting to like the feel of her next to me when I remembered who she had called me during the night. I felt her breathing change then she inhaled deep through her nose. Did she just smell me? I glanced over to see that her green eyes were open I noticed the speckles of brown in them before I looked to the ceiling of the tent and spoke to here. "Ya gonna move woman or am I gonna hafta move ya myself?" I tried to sound mean but it didn't quite work.

"Sorry." Was all she said as she said as she moved away looking embarrassed. I noticed she was playing with her husbands ring and someone's dog tag. I would never admit it but her calling me her husbands name last night kinda hurt. It only confirmed what I thought to be true, that she didn't and couldn't ever want to be with me. I at least had to make sure her husbands name was Kayde and that he wasn't like her lover on the side or something.

"What was your husband's name?" the question flooded from my mouth.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Was it Kayde?" I looked at the ground when I asked.

"Yeah, how'd ya know?" So she didn't remember calling me Kayde in her sleep last night. Good, I didn't want her to.

"It don't matter. We going huntin or what?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Yeah let me get dressed and ill be right out." She said and I grabbed my crossbow, ducked out of her tent and went back to mine and merle's to get the rest of my arrows. I ducked into the tent, grabbed my quiver and kicked Merle. "Get up we are goin huntin." At least he hadn't known that I didn't sleep in the tent with him, and every one else was still tucked into their tents. Everything would be fine as long as that woman keeps her mouth shut.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I stood in my tent confused. How did he know Kayde's name? He said it didn't matter so I'm not going to push it, ill just forget he asked. I dug through my back pack until I found an army green shirt and my favorite khaki cargo pants. Kayde always hated them, said that cargo pants were for men, but I loved them. Cargo pants are just what I grew up wearing so they were comfortable to me. I was digging through the duffel bag with the guns in it looking for more ammo for my pistol when I came across the taser. It was a little pink hand held one that Kayde had given me to protect myself with when I went out clubbin with my friends. I suck it in my back pocket, after what happened with Shane last night I wasn't taking the chance of getting caught unprotected again. I loaded the pistol, then shoved it in the waistband of my pants. I then slung the quiver over my back and grabbed my bow. I stepped out of the tent to find Daryl and Merle waiting by the fire for me.

"Hurry up Woman, ain't got all day." That was the second time that Daryl had told me that, and I was getting really tired of him calling me "Woman"

"Look _man_, I have a name and it ain't Woman, its Talitha, Lyla for short." I said walking up to them.

"That's a stupid name." Merle said as we walked towards the woods. I just ignored him and kept on walking.

We had been hunting for about thirty minuets. I surprised them and myself when I killed a rabbit. Daryl had killed a rabbit and two squirrels and Merle had only killed a squirrel. Not to long after I killed the rabbit, I took down a squirrel. It wasn't a clean shot and it was still alive. I was about to pick it up when Merle beat me to it, snapped its neck then tossed it to me.

"I could have done that myself, it was my kill after all." I said.

"Yeah but the thing is, ya didn't kill it." He looked at me tauntingly. He was just trying to get my temper to flair.

"Yeah, so, what's your point?" I asked even though I could care less what his answer would be.

"Point is ya fuckin suck at huntin. Girls don't belong in tha woods" he said stepping into my personal space. Well, he pushed the wrong button, I absolutly hate it when guys are sexist to women.

"Listen here you sexist asshole redneck, _Women_ can do anything men ca-" the air was pushed from my body as he slammed me against the nearest tree. Holding me there with his body pushed against mine.

"What'd ya call me?" I could feel his repulsive breath on my face when he spoke.

"I called ya a sexist, redneck, asshole." He just growled in response and pushed me harder against the tree. He didn't scare me. "Aww did I hurt poor wittle Merles feelins?" I asked like I was talking to a little kid.

He push on me even harder if that was possible. "Woman I ought to-"

"To what? Kill me? Try and see what happens." He must have thought I had a death wish. I was starting to think the same thing with the way I was pushing people now days. I looked at Daryl over Merle's shoulder, he was looking at the ground shaking his head. Merle pulled a hunting knife out of its case on his side and held it to my throat. As soon as I felt it puncture my skin I knew he really did mean business. I quickly pulled the taser out of my back pocket, shoved the end to his neck and pushed the button. He yelped in pain and I didn't let off of the button until he fell to the ground. I quickly scooped up my stuff from where it had fallen on the ground and made a run for camp, I didn't want to be around when Merle got up.

"Hey! Where tha hell ya think yer goin?" I heard Daryl yell after me. I looked back to see if he was following me but he wasn't. I slowed down as I neared the tree line of camp. I didn't want people to thing a walker was after me. I calmly walked through the camp and to the tree line and started skinning my kill.

"Where is that crazy bitch!?" I could hear Merle yelling as he stormed out of the woods.

"Uh oh. Someone's pissed" I laughed to myself as I watch him hit and throw things around the main camp area.

"What's the problem here?" an older man with a fishing hat on stood and asked Merle.

"That fuckin new bitch is my problem, old man, now where did she go?" Merle yelled at the poor older man. I saw him point in my direction. "Nark" I thought to myself.

"Oh shit here comes trouble" I said under my breath as Merle walked in my direction, Daryl in tow. I was regretting my earlier cockiness. I pulled my bow off of my back and loaded an arrow. As he neared I got ready to shoot just in case it came to that.

**Daryl's Pov-**

I followed after my brother as he stalked over to Lyla.

"What city girl? You gonna shoot me?" Merle was pushing her again. He was really getting on my nerves today, which was weird because I can usually put up with him pretty well.

"Depends, are you going to hurt me again?" Lyla said and I could make out a small bleeding gash on her neck where Merle had cut her, which angered me.

"God damn Merle cut it out!" I had snapped. I never spoke to my brother like that. In the past it never earned me anything but an ass whippin.

"What tha fuck ya just say to me lil brother?" Merle had turned on me and Lyla had dropped her bow.

"I said leave her be." I looked at the ground this time.

"Hahaha does lil Darylene have a girlfriend?" He asked me like I was a little kid. I hate it when he does that.

"No, but we do have meat to skin before it goes bad. Now come on." He didn't protest for once in his life and walked along side me back to the camp.

"I'll leave her alone, but ya better be fuckin her, I ain't letting her live for nothin" I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes. "Yeah, I know ya didn't sleep in our tent last night so unless you were is Blondie's you had to be in City's." I didn't say anything and he chuckled as he walked to our tent. Guess I'm clean his kill today. Go figure.

**A/N: **as always reviews and constructive criticism are welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do not intend to receive profit for my stories. They are purely for the entertainment of others and to give me something to do with my ongoing boredom.

A/N: I was debating on rather or not to post a new chapter because i only have like 4 followers. but my husband reminded me that that is 4 people that might get upset if i dont keep writing. problem is i have no idea how to end this story. once i get to writing i cant come to a decent stopping point. I always had that problem when i was in school. any way if someone could give me susgestions on how they think it should end that would be great. On with the story.

**Chapter 7**

**Talitha's pov-**

It surprised the shit out of me when Daryl stood up to Merle. I could tell from the way Daryl acted around his older brother that he was scared of him. So why had he stood up to him for me? I wasn't of any major value to the group; no one would have missed me if he had let Merle kill me. Or was it that he actually thought that I would kill his brother, because I wouldn't have. I refuse to kill the living, no matter how much I dislike them.

When I had finished skinning my kill, I took it to the camp fire area. Not many people were there, just carol and the older man with the fishing hat. "Hey Carol, where do you want me to put this meat?"

"Um, set it in that pan over there and ill cook it in a minute." She was busy folding her clothes. While the man in the fishing hat was starting the fire.

I walked up to the man and extended my hand. "My names Talitha." He took it and shook it gently.

"And my name is Dale. Nice to meet you." He said as he went back to working on the fire.

"Carol is there anything else I can do?" I asked.

"The other girls have already gathered up the dirty clothes and are at the lake washing them. You can walk down there and help if you want to."

"Uh, ok sure, ill go help. Did they get the Dixon brothers clothes?" She smiled at me and shook her head from side to side. So I made a pit stop to make on the way to the lake, the Dixon tent. "Knock, Knock, Daryl ya in there?"

The tent door flew open hitting me in the face and o stumbled backward as someone came out of the tent. "What the fuck you want City? Come to taze my ass again." He stood over me scowling.

"Uh…no. How bout a piece offering?" I asked with a best smile I could muster onto my face.

"You askin for a joint or somethin?" he said with a laugh.

"Ugh. No, I didn't mean I want somethin from ya. I'm trying to offer to do something nice for ya to call for a truce." He flashed me a bright smile and looked me up and down. "OMG! Not _that_. I meant like doin ya'lls laundry." He just stood there lookin me up and down. I didn't move. "Do ya accept my apology or not? Cause I'm not gonna do your laundry if ya don't. And acceptin, means that ya won't try to kill me again and ill stop annoying you."

"Woman yer crazy." He finally said.

"Yeah I know. So is that a yes or a no?" I said with a smile on my face. I couldn't help but remember the phrase 'kill em with kindness'.

"Yeah fine." He said with a growl and motioned for me to go into his tent. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Ain't got nothing to hide, gitcher ass in there." He said harshly. I laughed at him and entered the tent, with a laundry basket in my hand. It turned out that I didn't need one; all the dirty clothes in the tent were in a basket in the corner. I figured it was Daryl that put them there; I couldn't see Merle keeping things as tidy as this tent was.

I was turning to exit the tent when Daryl came in. We both froze my deer in the headlights eyes locked on his glaring blue ones. "What are ya doin in here?" he asked clearly confused.

"Uh, peace offering to Merle. I do yalls clothes and he leaves me alone." I said in a rush to explain myself before he got mad at me for being in his tent.

"I thought ya said ya hate doin domestic shit." He asked, eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face.

"I do but it's worth it for a truce. Getting him off my back will make life so much easier around here." I touched the still tender cut on my neck. "Getting tired of having knives held to my throat." I thought I saw a quick flash of anger on his face before he spoke again.

"Here ill walk ya to tha lake, ya can't watch yer back with all that in your hands." He said before we exited the tent. Merle was sitting in a lawn chair outside the tent with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. When we walked out I heard him mimic the sound of a whip being cracked. We both gave him a go to hell look, but I kept my cool because the insult wasn't directed at me.

The walk to the lake was comfortably quiet. We stopped walking when the lake came into view. "Thanks." I told him, he gave me a single nod of his head in response. I walked the rest of the way to the lake where Andrea, Lori and two other women were already washing away. I chose a spot next to Andrea and started washing. "So who are the other two ladies?" I asked Andrea.

"This is my sister Amy." She pointed at a pretty blond that looked a lot like Andrea but, Amy's hair was straight. I waved and told her my name. "And this is Jacqui." She pointed to a pretty African American woman with a short haircut. The woman flashed her pearly whites and waved at me, I waved back.

"So now that the interdictions are over I want to ask the question I'm sure is on all of our minds." She said.

"Uh, ok. Shoot." I said they were all staring at me, it made me nervous.

"What's going on with you and the Dixon brothers? You seam to be spending a lot of time with them, and now you're washing their clothes." She was smiling at me now.

"Uh, I'm washing their clothes to get Merle to leave me alone, the mans a jackass." I only answered part of her question. I hate being the center of attention, it makes me freeze up. It was quite a while before some one spoke again.

"Ok another question, what in the world happened in the woods earlier?" Amy asked this question with a serious tone.

"He pissed me off, I snapped at him, he cut my throat, I stuck a taser to his neck and zapped his cocky ass" I never looked up from my washing the whole time I was talking. It was silent for a moment after I finished my short story, then everyone burst out laughing. I couldn't help but laugh along with them.

"What the hell is so funny?" I heard an unfamiliar voice ask from behind our little group.

"Nothing Ed, just passing the time." Andrea answered the man with a bitter tone.

"Well less laughing more working." Ed barked at us.

"Aww come on Ed do be such a fuddy duddy." I said with a little laugh. No one laughed with me; they just looked at me and shook their heads no. Guess I should have kept my mouth shut for once.

"And who are you to be telling me what to do?" he said stalking over to where I was now standing wringing out clothes.

"I could ask you the same question mister."

"I am a man, and you best be learning that your place in this group is below me." Yet another person to push that ever sensitive button of mine.

"I am not below you, you stupid son of a bitch. For yer infor-" my sentence was cut off by a sharp slap across my face that made my head spin. Nest thing I knew Ed was on the ground and Daryl's fist repeatedly hit the man in the face which was getting very bloody

"Daryl! Stop!" I yelled and he stopped hitting the man and pulled him up by his shirt only to kick him in the butt in the direction of camp. The man fell flat on his already damaged face.

Daryl walked into the woods disappearing just as fast as he had appeared. I touched my face where the mans hand made contact. It stung really bad but I held back the tears and went back to wringing out the clothes. The other women were silent until we started packing up to head back to camp to hang the clothes up to dry.

"You never really answered my first question. I noticed Daryl off in the woods before he beat up Ed, he was watching you." Andrea said causing me to blush. "Ha ha ha you're blushing you like him."

"What? No I don't." I said in a rush and grabbed my necklace with my free hand. "Well, I mean he seams like a good guy, but my husband died about a week ago. It feels wrong to like someone else so soon."

"If you ask me, the mans nothing but an uneducated violent redneck." Lori spoke up.

"I didn't ask you did I?" I snapped back. That woman was getting on my nerves.

"Well honey, seams to me that in this new word that if love, or even like, comes along you need to go with it because it might not be there tomorrow." It was the first time Jacqui had spoken to me but I liked what she had to say.

"That makes since I guess." Was all I said. And it did make since, people have a greater chance of dieing soon in this world. So when a great opportunity comes along you don't throw it away. I was lost in thought and contemplation the whole time we were hanging the clothes up to dry on strings someone had tied in-between the trees. I was only snapped out of it when I heard someone clear their throat behind me I spun around to see who it was.

"I'm goin huntin. Ya comin?" Daryl asked with his usual blank face, and I looked at the half full basket of clothes.

"I got the rest of it Lyla; you go catch us something good to eat." Amy said and moved to pick up the basket.

"Thanks." I said to Amy. "Yeah, Daryl I'm comin. Let me go grab my bow." He followed me to my tent, I grabbed my bow and we headed towards the woods. "Merle comin?" I asked.

"Na, he's to drunk." Was all he said. The hunt was quiet, together we killed three rabbits. Two were his one was mine. We skinned them in silence, and I didn't mind. We took the rabbits back to the camp area and sat them in the pan designated for fresh meat.

I left him there and went to check on the clothes, I wasn't expecting them to be dry yet, but they were. So I took them down and went to sit around the fire to fold them. Carol was still there folding clothes that I'm assuming the other girls dumped on her. They all wash and she folds? It didn't make since to me but I wasn't going to say anything. I figured I would keep my mouth shut for once.

By the time I finished folding the clothes it was getting dark. Lori made dinner tonight since Carol was still folding clothes. I walked to the Dixon tent with their clothes in my hands. Daryl was working on his motorcycle outside and I could hear snoring coming from the tent so I ducked inside and set the clothes on the unoccupied side of the tent. I noticed Daryl's sleeping bag was no where to be seen.

I shrugged it off and ducked back out of the tent, Daryl walked back to the fire with me. I sat on the same log as the night before, but Daryl grabbed his food and disappeared. I stayed and ate and talked with everyone else. It was a relatively good dinner no one argued and laughed until Shayne interrupted it and gave watch assignments. Daryl had reappeared by that time and gave his plate to Lori. I had first watch with Shayne. Yay. I saw Daryl watching me and I patted my back pocket to let him know I had my taser. He nodded getting my meaning. Ugh, I hope this watch went better than the last.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapters.

**Chapter 8**

**Talitha's Pov-**

Watch was quiet, and we hadn't seen any walkers. I was sitting as far away from Shane as I could get. He was sitting in the middle of the RV roof and I was at the far end. We had been sitting like that for about twenty minutes when I heard him walk up behind me. I instantly tensed "What? Is there a walker?" I said getting up and looking around.

"No, no walker. Just looking." He said while looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes at him then turned to face the woods. "Look, I'm just trying to say I'm sorry for how I treated you last night. In my defense you're really hot I'm having a hard time keeping my hands to myself, I'm only human after all." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Well can you try a little harder? I'm a married woman." I said raising my left hand. The big star cut diamond sparkling in the moonlight.

"I don't see your man anywhere around here so that means one of two things. One, he ran and left you to be eaten by zombies or two, he's dead. I'm going with number two. I can't imagine someone would leave a hot little thing like you to be eaten." I gritted my teeth and started fiddling with my necklace. "So why don't you come to my tent tonight and let me show you how sorry I am?"

I snorted "No thank ya."

"What the Fuck woman? I don't understand you. You will fuck the Dixon brothers but you won't fuck me? What is the matter with you? They are nothing but white trash."

Ok that's it he pushed me too far. "I have not _fucked_ anyone here, but would most certainly have sex with one of the Dixon brothers before I would even touch your sorry ass. They are better men then you will ever be. Yeah Merle cut me, but it was only because I was aggravating him, and Daryl has been nothing but nice to me since I got here. So you listen to me _Shane_, if you even so much as glance in my direction again you will pay for it." I turned to jump off the roof when he spun me back around, I spit in his face causing him to release me and I jumped off backwards landing on my butt.

I didn't bother running back to my tent I knew Shane wouldn't follow me. I ducked into my tent and was met by the blue eyes of Daryl Dixon. He was lying in his sleeping bag, and he sat up never taking his eyes off my face. "How'd watch go?" he asked with a concerned look.

"How do you think it went?" I answered harshly. He just nodded his head and lay back down. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "I need to change clothes." He just nodded his head and turned to face away from me. "What about rule number one?" I asked with a smirk on my face even though he couldn't see.

"Break it." He was back to being blunt again, but I was to mad to care. So I dug around in my bag and found some Super Mario Brothers pajama shorts and a red tank top. I pulled my pants and t shirt off leaving me in just my pink lace bra and white and blue lace panties, I was never one to be all matchy matchy. I pulled my tank top on and I thought I saw his head move when the fabric moved out of my eyes. I felt like telling him that I didn't care if he looked, but he might take that the wrong way, so I kept my mouth shut. I pulled the shorts up and sat down on my sleeping bag.

"Ok you can look now." I said and he turned to lie on his back. "Mind if I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Shoot." He glanced in my direction when he said it.

"How did you know my husbands name was Kayde?" I asked fidgeting with my necklace again.

"You…uh…err… you called me that name in your sleep…so I assumed…" he said with a shrug of his shoulder and a blush on his face.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." I covered my face with my hands to hide my embarrassment.

"Hey, it's ok. I get that ya miss em." He touched my knee when he said it, but quickly removed his hand. I couldn't help but wonder if it was because I needed to shave my legs. Personal hygiene kind of has to come second in a world were people try to eat ya.

"Yeah I do miss him but I can't keep holding on to him like he is still out there. Shane was a jerk tonight but he made me realize, in a messed up way, that I need to move on." He just nodded his head. It was a few minutes before I spoke again "Daryl, why did you beat up Ed today?"

"Because he hit ya." Another short answer.

"Mmkay." I said nodding my head. "So why did you stop your brother earlier today. You could have let him kill me you know; no one would have missed me."

He shot straight up on in his sleeping bag. "That's not true."

"Yes it is. Your brother hates my guts, Shane just wants to sleep with me and all the other people don't even know me."

"Stop talking like that." He was getting angry, I could see it, but it didn't stop my ever running mouth.

"Why? Everything I have said is true. All I do is make people mad or uneasy. I'm even making you made right now I can tell." He took a deep breath.

"Look woman, Lyla, I'm not mad, and your wrong." His gaze shifted to the floor. "I would miss ya." I could see the blush on his face.

"Why would you miss me?" I asked without thought, and he looked up at me.

"I don't know. You're a good hunter, for a girl." He said the last part with a smirk so I knew he wasn't serious.

"That the only reason?" I couldn't help but ask.

"No. Even though it seams like ya never shut up, I don't mind havin ya around." He was still looking at the ground.

"Thanks I guess. One last question?"

"Go for it." He said with a sigh.

"Why are you in my tent tonight?" I asked quietly, not wanting to sound like I didn't want him there. "I mean I don't mind, I like the company, but Shane accused me of sleeping with you and your brother. Not that I care what he thinks I've done." I hadn't noticed that he had been staring at my arms as I moved them when I talked.

He snorted "Yeah, I know I heard him, and I'm in here because if I wasn't my brother would be."

"Oh. Thanks then. Wait if you heard him say that, did you hear what I said back?" I hope he didn't.

He cleared his throat "Yeah."

"Oh my god." I said burying my face in my hands again. I only looked up when I felt him grab my wrist and pulled my arm out examining it. Oh crap.

He ran his calloused fingertips over the old self inflicted scars. "You don't still do that shit do you?" he asked looking angry again.

"No, I stopped when I met my husband. I haven't cut for years, but to be completely honest, I have been really close to starting again these past few days." No one had picked up on my problem so easily before.

"Well, don't. Yer to pretty to be all scarred up, plus if I notice ya doin it again ya won't like me so much anymore." I just nodded my head. What he said sounded a whole lot like what Kayde had told me when he finally figured it out and my hand flew to the chain yet again.

"Yer thinking bout him again." It wasn't a question, just an observation.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I think I'm ready to move on." I said. A single tear slid down my cheek as I took off my ring, looped it on the necklace and tucked it into my backpack. Daryl wiped my tear away with his thumb. "We goin huntin in the morning?" I asked to change the subject.

"Na. We killed enough today to last until tomorrow night. You just get some sleep." He said as he laid back down, and I tucked myself into my sleeping bag. We laid there in silence for a while before I spoke again.

"Hey Daryl?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?" he said drowsily.

"Thanks."

"Yer Welcome" he said as he rolled over facing away from me. I waited till I thought he was asleep and scooted my sleeping bag up against his. There were the two layers of our sleeping bags between us but being close to him made me feel safe. I wrapped my arm around his stomach and tucked my other arm under my head. "Whatcha think yer doin?" he asked startling me.

"I was just getting comfortable." I said innocently. "I can move if you want me to."

"Na, your fine." He said. A few minutes later sleep over came me.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. :-)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: see previous chapters.**

**Talitha Pov.-**

I woke up felling better than I had in days. Probably because I woke up wrapped in some of the best arms I had ever seen. Our sleeping position had flip flopped during the night. My tank top had ridden up and his arm was draped over my exposed stomach. My head was resting on his arm that was tucked under his head.

It was still dark outside but I could tell that the sun would start coming up soon. I put my hand on Daryl's and rubbed it with my thumb, which was all it took to wake him up. Note to self-Daryl's a light sleeper. I stopped rubbing his hand, but left mine on his. "Mornin." I said a little sheepishly.

"Mornin." He said with a yawn. He seamed to be ok with the position we were in so I twisted around to face him. He didn't move his arm so it was now pressed against the bare skin of my back.

"So, I was kinda wonderin if it would be safe for me to wash up at the lake this mornin?" he looked a little surprised at my question.

"Uh…yeah. It should be ok as long as ya have someone to keep watch while yer down there."

"Um, well… I don't know anyone else very well, and they are all still asleep. Can… uh… can ya keep watch?" I'm sure my face was as red as my shirt.

"Ya trust me enough to do that?" he said with a smile on his face, his hand started rubbing my back. His intimate actions startled me.

"Well, yeah." I giggled nervously.

"Ya probably shouldn't. I meant what I said last night." He blushed. "About ya being pretty I mean."

I giggled again. "So ya did sneak a peak last night when I was changing."

"Yep. No normal man wouldn't have."

"Ok." I said not moving. I wanted to clean up, but I also didn't want to move out of his arms either. So we laid there for a few more minutes before I spoke again. "Hey Daryl, thanks ya really are a good man." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his cheek. He flinched slightly, as I did it.

"Um, we should probably get goin if ya want to wash up before people start stirring and ruin yer privacy." Was all he said as his arms released me. I stood and started digging for the plastic bag I kept all my shower essentials in. I also gathered a clean set of clothes and a towel. I stood up with everything in my hands to find Daryl waiting by the entrance. "Ready?" he asked and I nodded my head.

We walked to the lake in awkward silence. I didn't speak until we got to the lake. "So, can I take my time or do I need to hurry?" I asked. I really needed to shave my legs.

"Uh, ya can take yer time. Ill let ya know if I see someone commin." With that I walked down to the lake and did my thing. I did catch him looking a couple of times, but I ignored him. I dried off with a white towel I had gotten from one of the motels I stayed at. I then dressed in a lime green t shirt with a flower design on it and pair of blue jeans with holes in them. I slipped on my tennis shoes, then pulled my wet hair up into a messy bun and secured it with a pony tail holder I kept on my wrist.

"Hey, is everyone still asleep?" I asked Daryl as I walked to stand by him.

"Na, Dale and Carol are out and bout." He said and started to walk away. I grabbed his hand to stop him, he turned and glared at me. I dropped his hand.

"Was I out of line earlier? When I kissed ya I mean." I asked nervously. He just looked at me for a minute before he answered.

"Na." then he turned away and started walking back to camp and I followed. I guess he was back to giving me blunt answers. I stopped by my tent and dropped off my shower stuff before I headed to the main camp area. Daryl went to his and Merle's tent and I could hear him talking to his brother when I walked by. When I got the fire Carol was leaning over it heating up the meat that was cooked yesterday. I couldn't help but wonder if that was safe, but I didn't ask.

"Hey, is there anything I can help with or be doing?" I asked nicely.

"Yeah, can you go find something canned to go with this meat? It's all in the cabinet in the RV. The first door on the bottom when you walk in." she said only looking up for a second.

"Sure." I answered with a smile. I walked in the RV, it was the first time I had been in the camper but it looked like your typical old RV. At the Front was the drivers and passenger seats then a dining area was right when you walked in then the kitchen area followed by the bedroom at the far end. I looked in the cabinet door she pointed me to; there wasn't much to choose from. There were just a couple of cans of carrots and a can of green beans. I chose the carrots, I couldn't stand green beans, and headed out of the RV. I opened the door and slammed right into the chest of Merle, I froze. Crap.

"Whoa, watch where the hell yer goin there City." He laughed and pushed me back.

"Sorry" was all I said as I ducked around him and handed the can of carrots to Carol at the fire. He just laughed and went into the RV.

"Anything else I can do fer ya Carol." I asked and she shook her head. So I went and sat on what was becoming my log by the fire. I sat there as people started joining me waiting for breakfast. Carol passed out the plates when everyone was present. We ate in silence all still to sleepy to feel like talking. Shane, as always, spoke up after everyone has given their plates back to Carol.

"Ok, supplies are getting low so we need to make a run into the city. Who all is coming?" I wasn't going to volunteer for this like I did watch. Eventually people started speaking up. Glenn was the first then Morales, t-dog, Andrea, Jacqui and of all people Merle. "Talitha, your not coming?" Shayne asked.

"Um no it seams you have a big enough group, plus I'm sure there are things that need to be done around here" was all I said. He nodded and they all loaded up in two vehicles. The shine of the paint on my motorcycle caught my eye. It seamed like forever since I had last ridden it, so I got up and went to get on my Honda.

"I thought you said you weren't going." Lori spoke up from her spot by the fire. I didn't like the tone she had with me.

"I'm not going. I moving my bike to my tent never know when someone might try to take it for a joy ride." I glared at her then started my bike. I also wanted to have it close to my tent incase I needed to get to it in hurry during the night. I drove it to my tent and parked it next to the entry. I then went back to the fire, no one was there so knocked on the door of the RV, I could hear the clank of dishes coming from inside. Carol stuck her head out the door. "Do ya need help with the dishes?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Here you can dry." Lori said as she tossed a rag at me, I just gritted my teeth and accepted the plates as carol handed them to me after she rinsed them. I was anxious to get out of there and away from Lori and the mean looks she kept sending my way. So I was the first to talk when all the dishes were washed and dried.

"Carol, is there anything else I can help ya with?" I asked her nicely.

"No, not that I can think of." So without giving Lori a chance to put her two cents in, I left the RV. I went to find Daryl but he wasn't in his tent and his crossbow was missing, so I went to my tent and grabbed my bow and quiver. I had been walking around all day without and protection from walkers.

I didn't feel like being around anyone so I went for a walk down to the lake. I noticed Amy was there in a boat, a fishing rod in her hands, she saw me and I waved. I climbed the rocks and sat down. Man did I miss my Ipod; music would just set this moment off. I laid back on the rock and stared up at the clouds. I guess I dosed off like that because I woke up hours later to a commotion at the camp, Daryl was yelling about something. My heart started racing as I grabbed my bow off the rock and ran to camp. By the time I got there things had settled down, and Daryl was no where to be seen. I noticed a man wearing a police uniform clinging to Lori and Carl. I turned to T-dog. "What the hell happened? What did I miss?" I asked breathlessly.

"Merle got left behind; he's handcuffed to a roof. I dropped the key." He said. He must have seen that I was mad because he quickly added more. "As far as I know he is safe, I padlocked the door."

"Whatever, where's Daryl?" I asked aggravated.

"I wouldn't go after him if I were you" the new officer spoke up.

I looked at him "I don't give a damn what you would do. Now where did he go?" I was getting madder and madder by the second.

"Fine it's your death." He pointed in the direction of Daryl's tent. And I stomped toward it.

"Daryl, can I come in?" I asked standing outside his tent.

"No Lyla, go away." He practically growled at me.

"Fine, but don't say I never gave a damn." I started to stomp away towards my tent when I felt his familiar callused hand grip my wrist. I turned around to face him and he nodded towards his tent so I followed him in. I hadn't really thought about what I was going to say to him if he let me in his tent. So I just sat on Merle's sleeping bag and looked at the floor. I could tell he was still upset. "Do ya want to talk about it?" I didn't figure he would, but boy was I wrong.

"I just don't understand how that son of a bitch could just leave my brother on a roof. I get why he hand cuffed him, Merle has a temper worse than mine, but…eerrr!" he ended the sentence with a growl and slammed his fist into the floor of the tent. He was too angry to realize that he had slammed his fist into the tip of an arrow that was on the floor.

"I don't understand it either, I'm pissed to, but we will go look for him. You me and whoever else cares to come. We will go in the morning but right now you need to stop your hand from bleeding." I said looking him the eyes and talking calmly. "Let me see"

"Na, its fine." He said crossing his arms getting blood on his shirt.

"Damn it Daryl you got blood on your shirt now let me see your hand. I didn't take nursing classes for nothing." I snapped at him. I was getting tired of him being so stubborn, doesn't help that I'm short tempered. I was sure he was going to get mad at me but he held his hand out to me instead. I took it and examined it. He had a gash across his first three fingers. "It's not too bad but it does need to be cleaned, infection is the last thing ya need. Ill be right back." He nodded and I went to grab the first aid kit out of my tent. When I got back he was sitting where I had left him, holding an old shop rag to his hand. 'Yeah that will help clean it' I thought to myself.

I sat down on the floor across from him and opened the first aid kit. I took out a couple of alcohol wipes, salve and three band-aids then closed the box. I open one of the wipes and held my hand out for his. He laid his hand in mine, palm down. "This is probably gonna to sing I don't have any peroxide." I said and he nodded. So I swiped the pad over is wounds, he never said a word or even tensed. I blew on the cuts to dry the alcohol then applied the salve and put the band-aids on his fingers. I rubbed my thumb across the top of his hand before I released it and scooted away from him.

"Thanks." Was all he said.

"Ya welcome. Ya seam to be better now so I'm gonna go meet the new guy; I'll be by the fire if ya need me." I said then ducked out of his tent and went to the fire.

"Oh she's alive." Shane said sarcastically as I sat down on my log. I just glared at him before I spoke to the new officer.

"Sorry bout how I spoke to ya earlier. My names Talitha but ya can all me Lyla." He told me it was fine and that his name was Rick. Everyone started talking amongst their selves. No one was talking to me and I felt left out, so I grabbed two plates of food and headed to Daryl's tent. "Knock knock" I said ducking into Daryl's tent. I stopped in my tracks when I saw him. He didn't have a shirt on so I quickly averted my eyes. "Um I was just bringin ya some food. Thought ya might like to eat something."

"What? Never seen a shirtless man before?" he asked and I looked back up at him and laughed at the smirk on his face. I handed him his plate and he sat down on his sleeping bag and I sat down on Merles across from him. I as we ate I looked at him, he had a big scar on his chest near his collar bone and several more on his sides. I silently wondered that happened. "Go ahead."

"Go ahead and what?" I asked.

"Go ahead and ask I know you want to, I saw ya lookin." She said.

"I don't want to know. It's none of my business." I said. When I thought about it I really didn't want to know what happened they looked bad and I didn't want to hear ant bad stories. "Are ya done eatin?" I asked standing up and reaching my hand out for his plate.

"Yeah." I took his plate and dropped it off at fire. Everyone just acted like they didn't even see me. Why did these people dislike me so much? I wondered but I didn't really care. The only person I truly cared about was Daryl. I stopped when I came to his tent. Did he want me to come back in or should I just go to my tent for the night? "Ya comin in or what?" he asked form inside his tent startling me. So I ducked into his tent.

"I didn't know if ya wanted me to or not. I didn't know if rules number two and three still applied." I said looking at the floor.

"Na they don't, ya can sleep here if ya want." He said with a little smirk.

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah."

"Ok let me go change and grab my sleeping bag." I said about to leave.

"No need." He said tapping Merle's sleeping bag.

"Uh no offense, but gross. Id rather use mine," I laughed and left the tent, and went to mine. I changed into the night clothes I wore the previous night, grabbed my sleeping bag. I went back to Daryl's tent and ducked inside. I noticed that Daryl's sleeping bad was fully unzipped and sprawled out on the floor. He held his hand out for mine, and I handed it to him. He unzipped it, laid it on top of his then zipped the bags together. He made a double sleeping bag. "Hmm didn't know ya could do that. Wait why did ya do that?" I asked panicked. Yeah we had cuddled the two nights before but there was always the sleeping bags separating us.

"Its going to get cold tonight, we're goin to need the body heat unless ya want to freeze to death." He said with a shrug. Thinking about us sharing body heat made my stomach do little flip flops. He tucked himself into the sleeping bag and I just stood there to nervous to move. "Ya comin woman?" he asked and his calling me "woman" snapped me out of it and he laughed when I glared at him. So I slid in next to him with my back facing him. He surprised me when he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to him. I thought for sure that I had scared him away with that kiss on the cheek this morning but I guess I was wrong. Being so close to him caused something in me to stir. Something that hadn't been stirred since Kayde was still alive. I could feel his breath on my neck and his abs against my back. That was it I had to do something about what I was feeling so I turned to face him. "Daryl, can I try something?" I asked quickly.

"Uh sure, what?" he asked like I was crazy.

"This" I pressed my lips against his hungrily. His whole body tensed when I kissed him, and he didn't fully kiss me back. This made me stop. "I'm sorry." I immediately said.

"For what?"

"I don't know." I whispered and pressed my face into my arm.

"Don't be." He touched my face causing me to look at him. "I'm the one that should be sorry." He said looking sad.

"You? Why should ya be sorry?" I asked curiously.

"Because I…I suck at this stuff. I've never… kissed a girl before." He said sheepishly and I could see him blush.

"Well there's a first time for everything." I smiled at him. "Kiss me? Please." I asked almost pleadingly, and he pressed his lips to mine gently. His hand slid up my back to my neck and my hand moved up his chest to his face. He pulled back breaking the kiss and I rested my forehead against his. "That was great." I said with a smile before I pressed my lips back to his. The kiss depended before I wrapped my leg around him pulling him in closer to me. He moaned and released the kiss again. I moved my leg off of him "What am I going to fast?" he just shook his head. "What then?"

"How far do ya want this to go?"

"Uh…is all the way alright with ya?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah, I just don't have any uh condoms; don't want ya to get pregnant."

"You don't have to worry about that. I never stopped taking the pill, medical reasons." I explained, and he nodded and then kissed me again a little roughly. I moaned when he grabbed my leg and pulled it over him. I rolled on top of him never breaking the kiss.

I lay on my back breathing breathlessly and Daryl lay on his side facing away from me. Did I suck; did he not want to look at me? "So that's it? Yer just going to shun me now?" he just grunted in response. "Daryl that's not how this works. Ya can't jus make love to me like that and then not talk to me. Did I do somethin wrong?"

"Coarse ya didn't." he didn't move.

"Hey, look at me please." He turned over to face me. "What is it then?"

"I was terrible." He said not looking away from me. I laughed, I didn't mean to it just came out. "It's not funny." He said angrily and turned onto his back crossing his arms across his chest looking at the ceiling. I sat to look him in his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. Its just you were the farthest thing from Terrible. You were fuckin amazing." I said smiling at him. He didn't smile back.

"Yer lyin." He said still lookin at the ceiling.

"Dang it look at me when I talk to ya." He turned his head to look at me. "I wouldn't lie about somethin like this. You really were great." He nodded and I laid back down next to him. I wrapped my arm around him and kissed him before I laid my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tucked the other arm under his head. I drifted off to sleep listening to his heart beat.

**A/N:** Cheesy ending to this chapter, sorry i couldnt resist. Anywho just wanted to thank all of my Reviewers and followers, yall dont know how much it means to me. Thanks again


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapters

**Chapter 10**

**Daryl's Pov-**

I loved the feel of waking up with Lyla in my arms, and last night was fuckin amazing, but I couldn't help but think that I sucked at it. She said that I didn't but my brothers voice was constantly in my head "Come on Darylene fuck her like you mean it", "Stop this in love school boy shit ya pansy ass", and "Ya think she really likes your dumb redneck ass?" suddenly I couldn't stand to lay next to her anymore. I got up and went to the campfire, were several of the campers were gathered. "I'm going looking for my brother, who's comin with me?" three men stood up.

"I'm coming with you. It's my fault he is handcuffed up there plus I need the bag of guns I left on the street." Rick said.

"And its my fault to I dropped the key, so I'm going to." T-dog volunteered.

"I know the city like the back of my hand you guys might need me, I'm in." I thought Glenn was the last to volunteer before I heard Lyla's voice from behind me.

"I'm comin to." I turned to look at her.

"No." I couldn't put her at risk.

"Yes I am." Her hands were on her hips now. I rolled my eyes and stepped closer to her.

"No, yer not." I said angrily. She looked kinda hurt. I couldn't stand that, so I grabbed her wrist and led her away form the men and into the coverage of the woods.

"Daryl I'm going, I care about your brother to ya know." She was trying her best to get me to let her go and I almost said yes but I just couldn't let her go into the city, it was too dangerous. I didn't know how to tell her how I felt so I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to me and kissed her long and hard.

"I just can't let ya go woman." I whispered with my forehead resting on hers. She pulled away and I thought she was going to be mad, but she wasn't. She had a smile on her face but it quickly faded and she looked worried.

"Fine I won't go, but ya have to promise me somethin." I just nodded. "Ya have to promise me that ya won't do anything stupid and get yer self killed." I nodded again. "No, a nod doesn't cut it this time you have to say it, out loud." Her look of worry was starting to turn to one of panic.

"I'll come back to ya, I promise." I hated making promises. I'd broken the few other promises I'd make in my life, but I was damn sure not going to break this one if I could help it. She stepped back up to me and leaned up onto her toes to kiss me gently. I hadn't realized how much shorter than me she was until that moment. She broke off the kiss and hugged me.

"Be safe." She whispered in my ear before she released me and practically ran to her tent. I turned and went back to the fire.

"Ya'll comin or what?" I spoke to the men as I got in my truck, and set my crossbow on the seat next to me. The other men got in the bed and I cranked it and started driving down the dirt road.

I was thinking about Lyla when I heard the men start talking in the back. Either they were unaware that the back sliding window was open or they didn't care, but they had my attention.

"I'm glad she didn't come, that girl's crazy, she tased Merle for the fun if it." Glenn said.

"I doubt it was for the fun of it Mele's just as crazy, but I heard she threw herself as Shane and when he refused to sleep with her she tried to tase him to." This came from t-dog.

"Well Lori said that she tried to hit her for talking bad about Daryl. Lori also told me a disgusting story that Lyla told Merle her fist night at the camp, something about gutting her pet rabbit and feeding the guts to her dog. The girl defiantly sounds like a loose cannon." This time Rick was talking. I was tempted to stop the truck right there and beat the truth into all of them but I had my brother to find. I didn't have time to waste on those assholes. I thought about all the stuff they were saying as I drove, and I eventually realized who was behind the stupid rumors.

**~meanwhile back at camp~**

**Talitha's Pov-**

I waited in Daryl's tent until I was sure they had left, I didn't want Daryl driving away to be my last image of him in my head if he didn't return. I nervously tidied the tent up while I was in there. I rolled up mine and Daryl's sleeping bag and rolled out Merle's, if he came back he would probably want to lie down.

When I was sure they had left I went and started walking the perimeter of camp. I had to keep moving I was too worried to just sit around and wait for him to return. I thought about how he kissed me as I walked. I was on my third trip around the camp when their voices broke the trance I was in. The voices were coming from the RV so I snuck up to the open driver's side window to eavesdrop.

"I wish she would just leave camp, and take Daryl with her. They both make the whole camp uncomfortable." I could hear Amy say. Where they talking about me?

"Yeah, did Shane tell you she threw herself at him, and she tried to tase him when he refused to sleep with her? I guess the Dixon brothers weren't enough for her." Lori's annoying voice flowed from the camper. Was that why she hated me so much, because I supposedly tried to take Shane from her cheating ass? "And that story she told by the fire about killing her pet rabbit…gross." I could hear the disgust in her voice, and tears started to form in my eyes.

"I thought that was funny. I think its funny that she tased Merle to." Andrea spoke up.

"That girl is so crazy she probably did that for the fun of it." Lori laughed causing my heart to sink, and the tears spilled over. Even at the end of the world I was getting made fun of. Girls, even grown women, could be so mean to me. I hung out with boys and eventually men my whole life for that reason. I was always taunted for being a tomboy.

I walked back to my tent with tears streaming down my face and ducked inside. I grabbed my quiver and pulled out the sharpest arrow I could find, I held it to my arm and pressed down. It was about to break skin when Daryl's voice came into my head "I told ya if ya ever did that shit again that ya wouldn't like me anymore woman, now stop!" I removed the arrow tip from my arm and collapsed to the floor. I curled up into the fetal position and cried myself to sleep.

**~On the roof top~**

**Daryl's Pov-**

T-dog cut the chain on the door and I kicked it open. "Merle! Merle where tha hell are ya!" I yelled.

"Daryl?" I heard my brother's voice and I ran in the direction. He had a saw in his free hand and the hand with the cuff on it was bleeding badly. I grabbed the shop rag out of my back pocket and threw it at him. "What ya doin here little brother?"

"Came to rescue yer sorry ass, what does it look like?" T-dog handed the bolt cutters to me and I cut the cuffs. Merle tried to get up but he stumbled and fell. "He's loosin blood fast. Let's go before he passes out." I looped an arm around Merles waist and pulled him up. We stumbled down the stairs and through the store. I tucked Merle into the passenger seat just as Rick came running up with a gun bag over is shoulder. Walkers were following behind him. He jumped in the back of the truck as I got in, cranked it and sped off toward camp. The drive was quiet; Merle had passed out as soon as I set him in the seat.

We pulled into camp and I half carried half drug Merle to our tent and laid him down on his sleeping bag. His wrist had stopped bleeding, so I felt for a pulse and was glad that is was strong and steady. With the knowledge that Merle was ok I went to Lyla's tent. I froze when I saw her. She was still in the bedclothes she had been wearing this morning, curled up in a ball on the floor shivering with an arrow in her fist. My heart sank; hopefully she didn't do what I thought she did. I walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her sleeping body and touched her shoulder to wake her. She shot straight up and reared up her fist with the arrow in it. I quickly caught her wrist before she could stab me.

She blinked fast a couple of times then dropped the arrow and threw herself into my arms. Her body was shaking as she sobbed into my shoulder. I let her cry until her body stopped shaking, and then I pulled her arms with away from me. "Ya didn't…did ya?" I asked quietly. And she shook her head. "Why would ya even think about it?" More tears spilled from her eyes before she finally answered me.

"Everyone hates me." She said looking at the tent floor.

"I don't hate ya." I said. Seeing her cry was killing me.

"But every one else does. They all think I'm some crazy whore that hurts people for the hell of it." She said still crying. I usually ran when I saw some one crying. Dixons don't cry, I didn't know how to deal with it.

"I know. I've heard what they say and its all bullshit. I overheard the other men talking when I was in the truck, and ya know what I got from everything they said?" she just shook her head. "I figured out that Lori is just a jealous bitch that like to spread rumors."

"Why would _she _be jealous of _me_?" I could tell she didn't believe me. Ugh she was really making this hard on me.

"Because Shane liked ya more than her, yer more beautiful than any amount of makeup could ever make her. If ya could shut her up people would start to love ya as much as I do." She was just staring at me with her mouth open.

"What? It's true." I had never been so nice to anyone in my life. This woman was changing me. "Ya can catch flies with yer mouth hangin open like that." I said, and she quickly shut her mouth.

"Uh… I'm confused. What's true, that I'm prettier than her or that ya… uh…ya love me?" she was looking me in the eyes.

"Uh…Both?" I came out in the form of a question. I hadn't even realized what I said and I was just as confused by it as she was. She just kept looking at me with that confused look on her face. "I don't know, I've never felt like this before." Her confused look turned to one of understanding.

"Ok, well we don't have to discuss this anymore if ya don't want to, but from now on… please don't say the L word unless your one hundred percent sure you mean it. I wouldn't like it if ya said it just to make me feel better." She paused looking at me, I felt like a little boy that just got in trouble, probably looked like one to. "Ok?" she sounded sad and I couldn't stand it, I grabbed her and hugged her.

"Kay" I whispered in her ear, and then I pulled her back at arms length again. "So what are ya going to do about Lori?" I asked her.

"I don't know. I've never confronted a bully before." She was looking at the floor again.

"Ya have to do somethin or she's just gonna keep at it." I knew how to deal with bully's heck my brother is one.

"But I don't know what to do, I'm afraid anything I do will just backfire." She was looking at me now and I could tell she was scared of Lori.

"How bout black mail? Tell her to tell everyone that she made everything up or you'll tell Rick that she cheated on him with Shane." I said. I knew it would work the last thing that woman would want was her husband mad at her.

"I guess that will work. When should I confront her?" she asked.

"Uh after ya help me clean up Merle's Wrist?" she hadn't even asked about Merle.

"Oh crap. How could I forget about that? How is he?" she asked a little panicked.

"He's fine, just passed out from blood loss. Calm down its ok." I laughed at her without meaning to and she hit me playfully. Guess she was feeling better.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I couldn't believe I hadn't asked about Merle, I felt so selfish. But I was glad he was ok, for Daryl's sake. The least I could do was to check his wrist and make sure it was going to be ok. So I grabbed my first aid kit and walked to the tent Merle was in. "What tha hell ya doin in here City?" he asked when I walked in and I held up the first aid kit. I sat down on the floor next to him.

"May I?" I asked holding out my hand for his.

"Ya ain't gonna Zap my ass again are ya?" he asked eyeing me suspiciously.

"Na I ain't gonna hurt ya, not on purpose anyway." I said smirking at him still holding out my hand. He growled before he slammed his hand into mine wincing. I examined it; there was a deep ragged gash on the side of his wrist. "Damn this is deep, what happened?"

"Dummy tried to cut his hand off." Daryl said answering me. And surprisingly Merle didn't say anything. So I got a wet wipe out of the kit and cleaned the area around the gash.

"Hey Daryl, will you do me a favor?" he grunted. "Will you go see if any of the other campers have any peroxide? I don't want to use alcohol on something this big." He nodded his head and left the tent. It was awkward with just me and Merle in the tent until Merle spoke.

"Ya know ya ain't so bad City." He said with a laugh. 'That came out of nowhere' I thought.

"Uh, thanks I guess" I said shyly.

"I'm serious, anyone my brother likes so much, and would offer to help find my sorry ass, is fine by me." He said more serious than I had ever heard him be.

"Thanks. How'd ya know that I offered to help find ya?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged "Daryl talks to himself when he doesn't think people are listening and I wasn't passed out in the truck, he was talking bout cha."

"Oh." Was all I could say before Daryl popped into the tent.

"Here, Carol gave it to me." He said and passed me the brown bottle.

I took it, unscrewed the lid and held an old rag under his wrist to catch the excess. "This is probably gonna hurt, so don't say I didn't warn ya." I said and he nodded his head. I poured the liquid on the wound and he winced as it started to bubble. I blew on it to try and ease the pain. When the bubbling stopped I pressed a clean rag on the wound to soak up the peroxide and blood. I pressed a gauze pad onto the gash and secured it with an ace bandage. "All done." I said as I stood up. I was about to walk out of the tent when Merle's gruff voice stopped me.

"Hey City" I turned to look at him "Thanks." He said it with a genuine smile and I smiled back with a nod. I walked out of the tent and to the fire. Everyone was now gathered to eat lunch which consisted of the squirrel that Daryl killed while I had been sleeping on the rock by the lake. Other than the fact that no one looked at Daryl or me where we sat on my log, lunch went fine.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** see previous chapter.

**Chapter 11**

**Talitha's Pov-**

We were sitting around the fire pit eating when I saw him. A tall skinny man was tied to a tree. That didn't seam right to me. "Daryl, who is that and why is he tied to a tree?" I leaned over and asked.

"That's Jim; don't know why he's tied to tha tree, but ill damn sure find out. Hey Shane why is Jim tied to a tree?" he asked.

"Because while you all were gone he was digging holes on that hill over there like a mad man. We couldn't get him to drink anything and he was refusing to stop, we had to restrain him before he hurt himself." Shane answered with a genuine look of worry on his face.

"Has anyone gotten em to drink somethin yet?" I asked, and Shane nodded his head. People started going to do their own things when they finished eating. Andrea asked me if I wanted to go fishing with her and Amy. I politely declined and stayed at the fire until it was just me, Rick and Lori. I walked up, nodded to Rick then spoke to Lori. "Can I talk to ya in private?" I asked and she nodded and Rick went to talk to Shane.

"What do you want?" she practically spit the question at me.

"What I want is to know why you have been spreading bad things about me through the camp? I never did anything to you." I was trying my best to sound nice and calm.

"I haven't said anything bad about you." Lori tried to sound innocent.

"That's bullshit. I'm not stupid I heard you talking to the girls in the camper earlier." She just stared at me. "If this is about Shane, he threw emself at me not the other way around. I don't want em."

"I would hope not, you have your hands full fucking the Dixon brothers." She had a mocking smirk on her face and I clenched my fists to my side suppressing the urge I had to slap it off her face.

"How fuckin dare you. I ain't the whore here ya cheatin bitch. Unlike ya I haven't _fucked _anyone in this camp. If ya don't knock off this junior high rumor spreadin shit, and set the record straight with everyone, I'll have a little chat your husband. I'll tell em that while he was fightin for his life in Atlanta you were here, fuckin his best friend. Don't think he won't believe me, he will, because of the way Shane looks at ya when he thinks Rick Ain't lookin." I saw tears surfacing in her eyes. I meant it when I said I hadn't fucked anyone in camp Daryl and I made love there's a difference.

"I thought Rick was dead, Shane told me he was dead." She said whimpering. If it was anyone else I might have felt sorry, but I was too mad. This woman had caused me too much trouble for me to care.

"That ain't my problem, it's yours and ya better fix it before I do." I walked away leaving her to ponder everything I had said. I went to find Daryl and tell him what just happened but when I got to his tent I knocked and found only a still sleeping Merle inside. I figured he was just out hunting again so I walked down to the lake to see if I could take Andrea and Amy up on the fishing offer but they met me half way there. Andrea had a stringer full of fish in her hand. "Yum. Fish and chips tonight?" I asked and Andrea laughed.

Later that night we all sat around the camp fire eating the fish, well, everyone but Ed his face was still to messed up to join in. Dinner was going well everyone was joking and laughing, people were even talking to me, Daryl and Merle or, me and Merle, Daryl wasn't very social. Guess Lori bad been "spreading the word".

Amy was walking out of the RV complaining about being out of toilet paper when we heard her scream. I looked up just as the walker latched onto her arm, Rick shot it, and then the whole camp went into panic chaos mode.

Next thing I knew I was sitting on the ground by the fire Indian stile with my head in my hands. I looked up to see Daryl kneeling in front of me he was saying something but I couldn't hear it, all I could hear were Andrea's cries for Amy. I looked around Daryl to see her leaning over Amy's lifeless body. "Lyla? Lyla? Talitha hello you in there?" I could hear Daryl trying to get my attention, but I just couldn't stop staring at Andrea. He broke my gaze by grabbing my face in both of his hands, making me look him in his blue eyes. "Talitha talk to me."

"What happened?" was all I could say.

"What do ya mean?" he looked confused.

"I mean what happened?" I didn't mean to sound as mean as I did but my head was killing me.

"Well ya killed two zombies with my knife. Ya took it off of my side before I even knew what ya were doin. Ya pretty much saved Jacqui and Carol. Ya don't remember?" he stood up and held his hand out to help me up. I took it and he pulled me up fast making me dizzy.

"I remember Amy bein…then Rick shot the walker, but I'm drawing a blank after that. Ya sure I didn't hit my head? It hurts really bad." I asked. I was so confused how could I not remember anything. I just didn't get it.

"Ya didn't hit yer head, but ya probably should go lay down." I tried to protest, but Daryl wasn't having it. "There is nothing more we can do here, let's go to yer tent." He pulled me toward the tent. The sudden movement made me nauseous, and I pulled away from him and vomited in the nearby bush. "Ya good?" he asked when I slowly stood back up.

"Yeah, but lets just walk slowly from now on." I said. He wrapped his arm around my waist and slowly walked me my tent. He gently sat me down inside and sat a red five gallon bucket next to me.

"In case ya need to Puke again." He explained. "I'll be right back gotta talk to Merle Real quick." And he left the tent. I didn't know when he grabbed the bucket but I was glad he did because I up chucked in it before he got back. Not five minutes later he ducked back into the tent and sat down in front of me. "Here take these." He handed me two pills and a bottle of water then grabbed the bucket, went out and dumped it then came back in. he set the bucket by the door in case I needed it again.

"What are these?" I asked suspiciously. I wasn't sure if I should take something from his brother.

"Pain pills, good ones. Ya know my brother likes ya when he'll share his pills with ya." He said smiling.

"They won't knock me out will they? I don't want to be out of it if another pack of those things comes through."

"I don't know. How do ya usually react ta vicodin?"

"I don't know."

"Ok, then just take one, and if it doesn't do anything take the other one. If it knocks ya out I'll keep ya safe." He was completely serious.

"Mmkay" I popped the pill into my mouth and swallowed. I laid down on our sleeping bags facing him; he was sitting by my head. I was about to drift off to sleep when I felt Daryl's hand stroke my hair a couple of times before his finger tips trailed to my cheek, I smiled. "You need sleep to ya know."

"Cant, to wound up." Was all he said.

"Wish I could help with that." I said with a smirk on my face as I put my hand on his inner thigh.

"Ya and me both." He said laughing and leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "Now sleep." He demanded. I fell asleep with his hand on my neck, his callused thumb rubbing circles on my cheek.

**A/N: **sorry about the short chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: **see previous chapters.

**Talitha Pov-**

When I woke up in the morning Daryl wasn't in the tent so I changed out of the dirty clothes I was wearing and into a black t-shirt and a holy pair of jeans. I walked out of the tent to see Andrea still leaning over her sister's body so I walked over to her. I got a gun pulled on me when I kneeled down to talk to her. I backed off and went to the group that was standing in a circle. "There's nothing we can do without her threatening to shoot us so lets just leave her be and clean up these bodies." I heard Rick say as I walked up. Everybody nodded and dispersed.

"What did I miss?" I asked Daryl as we walked to a walker body.

"Well Andrea hasn't left Amy all night, Rick went to talk to her and she pulled her gun on him." He grabbed the walker's arms and I grabbed its bloody bare feet. We threw it into the back of his truck to hall it off a burn it. We grabbed the body of one of the campers and was about to throw it in the truck when Glenn yelled at us.

"We don't burn our people, we bury them!" Glenn stomped off angrily. Daryl and I just looked at each other and shrugged. We laid the campers bodies side by side to be prepped for burial. We were walking to get another walker when we heard Jacqui say that Jim had been bitten.

"Be right back." Daryl said before he went to investigate. I could see him and Rick discussing what to do. "I say we put a pickaxe in his head, the line's pretty clear; zero tolerance for walkers." I could hear Daryl say angrily, I walked closer to the men. "We can't kill him he's still alive." I heard Rick say. Daryl just shook his head turned away picked up his pickax. He was in mid swing when I screamed "No!" stopping him.

Rick had pulled a gun out and had it pointed straight at Daryl's head. "We do not kill the living." He said determined, and dropped the gun to point at the ground.

"Funny, coming from a guy that just held a gun to my head." Daryl said and threw the pickax to the side stepping back. Rick brought Jim to the RV and made him stay there while we all had a meeting outside to discuss our next actions.

"I say we go to Fort Benning there were broadcasts coming from there, said it was a safe place, food, shelter and protection." Shane stated. I on the other hand didn't think that was a very good plan of action.

"I don't think that's a good idea, no disrespect Shane, but I have been to every military base from College station to here and there is nothing there. Any promises they might have made are no good." I spoke to the entire group.

"I say we go to the C.D.C. The center for disease control, if there is any form of government left, it'd be there." Rick was the last one to have any sort of idea of were we should go so we all agreed. I was decided that we would start the 25 mile drive in the morning.

We spent the rest of the day cleaning up bodies. I sat by and watched as Daryl gave Carol the pickax. He had a look on his face that I couldn't decipher, I couldn't tell if it was just sadness, or sympathy, or if he had a connection to this woman that I didn't know about. Either way it caused pain to shoot through my chest. He winced every time the woman brought the pickax down on the mans head. She released years of bottled up anger towards the man by beating his dead face to a pulp. "Just burn the son of a bitch." Was all she said as she handed the pickax back to Daryl and walked away.

Soon all of the walker bodies were piled up flames rolling off of them. All of the bodies of former survivors had been wrapped in sheets and laid to rest in the graves that Jim had dug. Everyone cried as they covered the bodies, even me and I didn't even know the people other than Amy. Needless to say, no one felt like eating when the burial was over. No one spoke; we just went to our tents for the rest of the night.

"Ya stink." Daryl said as we sat side by side in the tent.

"Gee thanks." I said and slapped his shoulder. "Ya don't smell so good yer self there mister Dixon."

"That came out wrong what I meant was ya need a bath." He said.

"That's just sayin I stink in a nicer way." I laughed. I couldn't believe I was laughing not even a day after our camp had been attacked my walkers. There was just something about this man that made me forget all the bad thing going on around me.

"Erg no, what I mean is _we _need a bath." He had a glint in his eyes and I finally caught on.

"You don't think that is a bad idea considerin what happened last night?" I asked.

"Na if it happens again I got yer back and ya got mine. Right?" he was smiling at me. How could I say no to that smile?

"Yeah I gotcher back lets go." He flashed me another smile. And I gathered up clean bed clothes, underwear, a towel and my shower essentials. I hadn't noticed before but Daryl had moved his things into my tent. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a clean shirt, pants and boxers. We walked to the lake hand in hand, and bow on our backs.

When we got to the lake I watched Daryl as he undressed, when he was done he undressed me. I could tell he was nervous again; his hands were shaking as he attempted to unhook my bra. He got aggravated giving it a good yank breaking the hooks. "Hey, I liked that bra." I giggled.

"Sorry, guess ya'll just hafta go braless from now on." He gave me a hopeful look.

"Don't count on it." I said and he fake pouted. I laughed before I kissed him then finished undressing myself. He surprised me when he picked me up and carried me into the water.

"Saw it in a movie once." He said before he released me and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from floating away from him. His hands were soon pressed to my back holding me to him. The sensation of our wet skin pressed together was almost too much to handle. I released the kiss and looked into his eyes shining bright in the moonlight. I wanted so bad to tell him I loved him but I didn't want to say it to soon. I still didn't know what it was I saw between him and Carol.

My thought process was interrupted when his lips pressed back to mine then trailed down my jaw line to my neck where he kissed and sucked. I let out a soft moan when he bit down; I wrapped my legs around him. I heard him let out a husky groan when our bodies connected. I lean back, my hands sliding to grip his shoulders where I dig my nails into his skin. I hear him hiss but is just feeds the intensity and his pace quickens. I couldn't hold back any longer and soon we both reach the point of complete ecstasy.

I hugged him tight kissing his wet earlobe nibbling on it a little. "Daryl I…" I almost said it; I had almost told him I loved him.

"Ya what?" he asked pulling me back to look in my eyes.

"I really *kiss* fuckin *kiss* enjoyed *kiss* that" I hugged him again after the last kiss. And he laughed in my ear.

"Me to" he said and started swimming to the bank and I followed. He tossed me the shampoo and I washed my hair as he scrubbed his body with my Japanese cherry blossom shower jell.

"Yer gonna smell like a girl." I laughed and he tossed it to me and I tossed him the shampoo.

"Long as I don't smell like walker blood" he said as he washed his hair. When we had scrubbed all the dirt and walker off of us be dove back into the water to rinse off the soap.

We didn't speak again until we had dried off and put on our clean clothes. "Nice tattoo by the way, it's…unique." I hadn't thought about him seeing the tattoo on my hip bone. It was a fairy sitting on the hook of an anchor.

"Thanks. I got the anchor because of Kayde, and the fairy because I've always loved fairies." I don't think he knew what to say at the mention of my late husband, so he changed the subject completely.

"Lets get to bed, ya tired me out woman." He said laughing and we started walking to our tent.

"I tired ya out? It was yer idea." I said bumping him with my hip and he bumped me back. When we got to the tent he took his shirt off and slid into bed. "Why'd ya put a shirt on just to take if off again?" I asked as I slid into bed.

"Didn't want anyone to see me without it." It was then that he didn't trust anyone but me to see him shirtless, he didn't want people asking about his scars. "One more question?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Is there something goin on with ya and carol?" I want sure if he would like the question.

"No why do ya ask?"

"Because I saw ya lookin at her today when she was uh killing Ed"

"No, it's not what ya think. I just know how it feels to hate someone so much ya want to kill them. The man was an abusive son of a bitch, so was my dad." I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry."

"Ya have no reason to be sorry."

"I know, but no person should have to deal with that. But what I also know is that neither your dad or Ed is here now and both ya and Carol have people that care about ya. Ya have me and she has Sophia." I kissed him gently then snuggled up to him. I felt his arm wrap around me as he placed a soft kiss on my cheek as sleep overcame me.

**A/N:** sorry another short chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: **see previous chapters.

"Daryl, so ya think tha CDC is a good idea?" I asked as he pulled a sleeveless shirt ever his head.

"Yeah, I thought ya did to."

"I don't know, I guess it is, but do ya wanna stay with tha group? We don't hafta do whatever they do. If ya and Merle wanna go yalls own way yall can, we can." He seamed to consider it for a minute.

"I think there is safety in numbers, and I'm curious about the CDC. So unless ya or Merle has any objections I say we stick with the group." I nodded.

"I don't have any objections."

"Then I'm not even gonna mention this to Merle." He said as he left the tent.

We were standing around as Shane was explaining how to drive in a convoy when the Morales family came up. "We aren't going to the CDC with you guys. We have family in Birmingham; I gotta do what's best for my family." He announced as the kids said good bye to each other and Lori hugged Mrs. Morales. Everyone watched as they drove away, all silently wishing them luck in this new world.

I watched nervously as Merle pulled his motorcycle into the bed of Daryl's truck next to mine. I was afraid he would scratch its shiny red paint job, it had managed to stay unscratched and I kinda wanted it to stay that way. "Chill City ain't gonna scratch yer purty bike." He said noticing my distress.

"Didn't think ya would" I lied and he laughed. I walked around to the drivers side of the truck were Daryl was sitting.

"Ya sure ya don't wanna ride with me and Merle?" he laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I was starting to not mind Merle, but there was no way I was going to spend that much time cooped up in a single cab truck with the two men. "Just came to tell ya to be safe and" I glanced around to make sure no one was looking, "this." I gave him a peck on the lips. He gave me his usual smirk. I walked to the van that t-dog and Jacqui were in and asked if I could ride with them. Jacqui said yes right off the bat, knew I always liked the woman, but T-dog just nodded his head and I climbed in.

Jacqui and I talked T-dogs ears off the whole ride. We talked about everything under the sun. Music, TV shows, makeup products, total girl talk, and it was driving T-dog up the walls. I was glad I chose them to ride with Jacqui and I had a lot in common. T-dog was happy when we had to stop because the RV's radiator hose busted. I took the down time to check on Jim, who was not doing well, and touch base with Daryl and Merle. "How's tha others treatin ya?" Daryl asked.

"I'm gettin along with Jacqui pretty well; I think all our girl talk is getting on Tee's nerves though." I laughed. The two of us and Merle watched as Rick led Jim out of the RV and sat him down next to a tree, the man was clearly in pain. Rick left him a gun and everyone told him good bye as they walked to their vehicles. I kissed Daryl and ran to the van with T-dog and Jacqui.

The girl talk didn't start back up; we were to upset about leaving Jim behind. I had eventually fallen asleep but was waken up when we came to a stop. "We're here." Jacqui announced. And we all grabbed weapons and filed out of the cars. We all walked up to the CDC. The placed looked empty people were starting to turn back to the cars when I saw the camera move "It moved" Rick and I spoke simultaneously.

"Its probably just motion detected." I heard Shane say, but it just caused more chaos. Rick started screaming and beating on the door yelling that the people inside was killing us. Shane had begun pulling him back when the door opened. Bright light hit us all in the face blinding us for a moment. When we all got our vision back we walked inside to meat a man. He introduced himself as Dr. Jenner. He told us to get our stuff because once the doors were shut they wouldn't be opening again. We all made a run to the vehicles to grab our stuff. I ran to Daryl's truck, and grabbed my backpack and the gun duffle bag before running back to the CDC. When we were all in and the door is shut, the man led us down to the basement, control center.

"Welcome to Zone 5." Jenner said. "Vi tell our gusts welcome." A Female computer voice echoed through the room. Jenner went on to explain that he is the only person left at the CDC the others opted out. He led us out of the main room to another smaller room where he insisted on taking blood samples even though none of us were bitten. Good thing I didn't mind needles. He was taking my blood and I started to feel light headed. He took the needle out of my arm and as I stood up my vision vanished for a split second. Jacqui had caught me before I fell to the floor. "Is she ok?" Jenner asked.

"She hasn't ate for days, none of us have." Jacqui answered him.

**~Sometime later~**

We all sat in the cafeteria of the CDC, laughing and having a good time; we were all drinking wine, of witch Carl didn't have a taste for. Glenn was really getting drunk and of coarse Daryl and Merle were making fun of him. I couldn't help but laugh at the three, the poor kid must have never drank in his life. The party started dwindling down and the sober Jenner showed us to our rooms and showed the kids a rec. room telling them not to turn on the video games, and instructed us to go easy on the hot water, witch I sure none of us were going to do.

Daryl and I got a room to ourselves, in which we did not go easy on the hot water, who knew when we would have this luxury again. We took a shower together, indulging in each other. "Lyla I love…" Daryl spoke, still pinning me to the side of the shower. I didn't say anything waiting for him to finish. "I loved that" he spoke again. I sighed into his shoulder almost wanting to cry. Was he ever going to say it, I couldn't keep doing this is he wasn't.

"Me to Daryl" I said as I gently pushed him off of me and stepped out to dry off stumbling from all the wine as I did. He caught me and I pushed him away. "I'm fine Daryl." I left him in the bath room as I ran into the bedroom, shut the bathroom door and pressed my back against it sinking down to the floor. I always found something to cry about when I drank, I knew I shouldn't have been drinking but I wanted to fit in.

"What the fuck Talitha let me out!" Daryl yelled as he tried to open the door. I didn't want him to come out. I was mad at him because I loved him and he just seamed to like the sex, or at least that's what my drunken brain thought. He pushed the door hard making me slide across the floor enough for him to squeeze out of the bathroom. "What are ya doing on tha floor woman?" he asked kneeling down to be eye level with me. He reached up to touch my face and I slapped his hand away looking up at him angrily. He sat down on the bed and just stared at me, his arms crossed over his naked chest. "Did I do or say something?" he asked and I just stared at him for a while.

"No that's tha problem." I finally snapped at him weakly.

"I don't get it." He looked at me quizzically.

"Ya haven't _said _anything." That seamed to make it snap in his head what I was talking about, because he had a "…oh" look in his face. "I told ya not to say it if ya didn't mean it and I still mean that, but Daryl I… I love ya. I've let myself fall in love with ya and I am afraid that I've set myself up for heart break." I was pacing fast across the room and he never took his eyes off of me, his head moving like a dog following a treat as someone waved it in front of its face.

**Daryl's Pov-**

Crap, I knew I should have said it in the shower, now she was drunk _and _upset. I've never been good at this stuff, and now she was ranting at me. Wait… did she just say she loved me? I was pretty sure I loved her to, but I had never loved anyone but my blood relatives. How was I supposed to know if I loved her or if I just liked having her around? "How do ya know ya love me?" I was genuinely curious.

"Well, when yer around my stomach turns flips, I am constantly thinking about ya, I think about yer safety before my own, I don't think I could sleep without ya by my side, and I can't stand the thought of ya getting bit, if you died I would have no purpose in life." She confirmed what I thought to already be true. I loved this confusing woman with her blabber mouth, beautiful black hair, sun kissed skin and clear green eyes. Actions weren't enough I had to tell her, so I stood up and crossed the room the were she was still pacing. I grabbed her shoulders stopping her, I leaned down and kissed her a passionately as I could. "I love ya to Talitha." She flashed me her bright smile in return, and I drug her to the bed where we cuddled together her head on my chest, my arms wrapped around her and our legs were entwined. We just laid there listening to the sound of each others breathing. She was tapping her finger on my chest to the beat of my heart and soon the tapping stopped, her breathing evened out and sleep overtook us.

I awoke to the smell of eggs drifting through our open bedroom door. T-dog had went through the hall opening all the doors with a plate of food in his hands and when he walked back past I grabbed it from him and started eating.

"Hey man that one was mine." He complained.

"Well you're the one teasing people." I kicked the door shut and woke Lyla up by blowing the smell in her face. She sat up and took some off of the plate savoring it.

"Oh my god that's good. Where did ya get it?" she asked.

"Stole it from T-dog in the hallway. Ass hole opened all the doors for everyone to smell it when they woke up. Get dressed and we'll go to tha cafeteria and get more." She put on her usual tan cargo pants and green shirt, never thought that could look sexy but it did on her, and we walked down the hall to the cafeteria joining everyone else. When we were all done eating Jenner took us to the main room where he showed us test subject 19. I found the process of the brain dieing and then restarting fascinating, like something on the science fiction channel until it donned on me that this was real. He had no cure and there probably would never be one. "What is that timer counting down to?" I asked pointing to the big timer with red numbers on it.

He explained that it was how much longer the building would have electricity and the computer explained that when the building lost electricity that facility wide decontamination would occur. Meaning the building would explode on us. Everyone freaked out as I tried to beat the door down and Rick reasoned with the man to let us out.

I was still beating away at the door, Talitha not to far away with all of our stuff on her shoulders, when the door opened, "Come on lets go!" I called to the group as I ran out the door with Talitha and Merle on my heels. We were out of the basement but not out of the building, when Lyla looked around and noticed that Andrea, Dale and Jacqui were no where to be seen. She took off toward the basement entrance when I caught her by the waist spinning her in the opposite direction. "Ya can't risk yer life for them ya have to live fer me." I told her as Rick told us to get down. The window exploded from a bomb that carol had been hiding the whole time Rick had been at camp and we all ran out. We were to the RV when we saw Andrea and Dale running toward us. They got to cover just in time as the building exploded, probably attracting every walker for miles.

**A/N:** I have to say i do not like where the walking dead Series is going. I havent liked the whole govener guy but now i really dont like him. anyway i am glad that Darol found Carol i was hoping she wouldnt be found dead somewhere. Have a good day/night. and as always review review review. or follow whichever lol.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Talitha's Pov-**

When the explosion had dwindled down enough for everyone to move about, we all left the RV. I stood staring at the building, how could she just die like that? She seamed so happy on the way here. I didn't realize tears were running down my cheeks until I felt Daryl's familiar callused finger wipe one away. I forced myself to turn away from the flames and join the gathering group. We decided that it would be best to have as few cars as possible from now on. Shane suggested going to Fort Benning again. "Look I told ya there is nothing left there its overrun by geeks." He looked defeated and nodded. "I was on my way to Fort McPherson when I found ya'll, maybe we could head there?" I suggested and no one else said anything. We silently agreed and started filing into vehicles. Andrea and Dale entered the RV and Merle, Daryl and I got into his truck. I was so numb from what just happed that I didn't care who I was in a vehicle with. I just wanted to get out of there, I watched as Shane and Glenn enter the RV to join Dale and Andrea. Rick, Lori, Carol and the kids were in Carols Cherokee. The convoy pulled a u turn and headed away from the mass of walkers headed toward the burning building.

I sat between the two men in the truck wordlessly staring out the front window watching the broken down cars as we passed them. I was thinking, really thinking about the walking dead people for the first time since it all started. Did they have thoughts did it hurt when we killed them, who they were before the terrible infection took them over and could they remember any of that? I knew Jenner said that everything that makes you who you are dies when your body does but I still couldn't help but wonder. I thought about my family. My brother and sister were the only living family I had left before all of this and now they were either dead or walking dead.

"Whatcha thinking so hard bout over there?" Merle had asked and I just shook my head. "Ya sure? Cause I can almost see yer wheels turnin." I just nodded my head in response never taking my eyes off the road ahead. "Somethin's wrong wit her, usually ya can't get her to shut up, now ya can't get her to talk." He leaned over speaking to Daryl.

"Think she got attached to Jacqui." Was all he said. It was true I had gotten attached to the woman even though we hadn't spent much time with each other. She was the only woman in the group that actually accepted me for me. Andrea had to but she was to busy with her own problems since her sister died.

"The nigger woman?" Merle asked and I had to fight the urge to slap him. I turned to face him shooting daggers at him with my eyes. He held his hand up defensively "Don't tase me again." I went back to staring out the windshield and he lowered his hands.

"Guess that answered my question." Merle spoke and out of the corner of my eyes I could see Daryl nod.

"Do ya wanna talk about it?" Daryl asked after a while. I shook my head no.

"Thought ya hated her yappin little brother."

"Startin to think I hate her silence even more. She's not actin like herself" They were getting on my nerves talking like I wasn't even there

"Yeah the City I knew would have either slapped me or zapped my for what I said earlier." I saw Daryl shrug before he took one of his hands off of the steering wheel to rest it on my knee rubbing it with his thumb. His gentle touch calmed my annoying thoughts, bringing my words back.

"Should have, but I don't know where my taser is at. Didn't figure it be worth it just because of one bad word anyways. Please don't use it around me again." He laughed and nodded. "And y'all can stop talking like I'm not here, because I am and I'm fine." They both nodded.

"Ya still don't wanna talk about what ya were thinking bout?" Daryl asked this time.

"I was just thinking bout Jacqui, if the walkers feel or have real thoughts or any inkling of who they were before the infection. I was also thinking bout my family."

"Thinking bout Kayde?" Daryl asked sounding a little hurt.

"No not Kayde tha rest of my family, my brother, and sister. I should have went looking for them but I thought that once I found some sort of rescue that they could go look for them. Now I'm afraid that it's too late for them." I was twiddling my thumbs as I spoke.

"Ya know we can always leave the group, go look for them on our own. Where do they live?" Daryl asked.

"Texas." I said looking at him to gage his reaction. "Merle how do you feel about this?"

"Well I don't much like these people considerin they left me on the roof to die. So I have no problem leavin them, but what if we don't find yer brother and sister?"

"I don't want to think about that. So yer in?" I asked with raised eyebrows and he nodded. "It was yer idea so I'm assuming yer in?" I asked Daryl this time and he nodded. We saw the lights of the RV in front of us flash its break lights twice signaling us to stop. We all got out of the truck and rounded the RV to see smoke boiling out from under the hood.

"Hose busted again." Dale told us simply and we walked back to stand in front of the truck.

"When do we tell them that we are leaving?" I asked looking at both of the men.

"Now I guess." Daryl said and the three of us walked to the front of the caravan. We pulled Rick and Shane aside. "We are leaving the group." Daryl said simply.

"I have family in Texas and I'd like to find them."

"And we would like to help her." Merle added.

"Are y'all sure? Y'all are more than welcome to stay." Rick asked.

"We are sure. I have to find out if my family is alive." I answered and Rick shook his head and called a group meeting. He told everyone what we had decided and Carol Andrea and of all people Lori hugged me good bye. We got in the truck and rode away from the group. "So do ya even know where yer goin?" I asked Daryl as he drove.

"Nope, if ya get tha map out of tha glove compartment ya can tell me." I pulled out the map and started figuring out where we were. I would have given anything for a GPS at that moment. As I was mapping out the drive I figured out that it was going to take a few days just to get to Texas. I silently hoped that if my brother and sister was alive that they could last that long.

We had been driving for hours I was getting tired of being cooped up, and the sun would start to set soon. "We have to find a place to stop for the night." I announced. They just stared at me. "What? I'm not sleeping in this cramped truck, and I'm sure we can clear out a hotel room somewhere." They nodded.

We drove until we found a motel with a relatively empty parking lot. Merle kicked open the door to the first room we came to. Two walkers were inside and Daryl and I shot them putting arrows through their heads. We tossed them out of the room then shut the door. Merle pushed the TV stand in front of the door to block any walkers that might try to push it open. Thankfully there were two double beds in the room. Daryl and I took one bed and Merle took the other. We went to sleep with growling stomachs that night, and I made a mental note to stop somewhere in the morning for food.

**A/N: **sorry if you dont like it that they left the group, it was not my intention for them to when i started writing this chapter. i just got so board of mapping my story around the tv show. Plus i really dont like the whole prison, govener story line. anywho as always review review review. constructive critisim and sugestions for whats to happen next are welcome.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Talitha's Pov**-

I awoke to sunlight streaming in through the thin curtains of the motel room. I sat up in the bed with my stomach aching from hunger. Daryl and Merle were still asleep so I slipped out of the bed grabbed my backpack, and went to the bathroom to see if the water ran, thankfully it did. I pulled the bathroom door shut quietly and started the shower the water eventually got hot which surprised me, but I went with it. It was relaxing to take a hot shower with no one watching me. I started to hum to myself as I showered and the humming eventually turned to singing. "Same hurt in every heart, same trailer different park. Mommas hooked on Mary Kay, brothers hooked on Mary Jade, and daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down. Mary Mary quite contrary we get board so we get married. And just like dust we settle in this town. On this broken Mary go 'round and 'round and' round we go where it stop no body knows. And it ain't slowin' down, this merry go 'round…"

"Nice voice ya got there" I swear I jumped ten feet before I slipped and fell landing flat on my butt letting out a little yelp when I hit. "Holy shit ya ok?" I saw Merle's head peak around the shower curtain.

"Stop lookin!" I yelled but I started laughing when I noticed the look of actual concern on his face.

"Why are ya laughing?" he asked concern fading from his face being replaced by the Dixon smirk as he eyed me.

"I don't know. I said stop lookin." I kept on laughing as I threw my wet wash rag as him. He growled and threw it back at me before he left the bathroom. I got up finished rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, and grabbed the towel off of the rack above the toilet. I wrapped it around me and stepped out of the bathroom. Merle and Daryl were awake and rummaging through the room, they found some clothes from the original tenants. Both male and female. Most of the female clothing was skimpy tank tops and short shorts but I took them anyways. "Got hot water." I said the men. I looked at Merle and motioned toward the bathroom for him to go shower. He went in and I could hear the water start running. "Bout time we are alone." I dropped the towel and pulled Daryl to me kissing him passionately leading him over to the bed. I felt the back of my knees hit the bed and I tumbled backward pulling him on top of me.

"We can't do this with him in there." He said pulling away.

"We can't just make out?" he nodded and we made out until we heard the water shut off and I quickly got dressed. I pulled on a green tank top and jeans I had to go commando because I was out of clean underwear. Merle immerged from the bathroom in his birthday suit dripping wet. "Oh my god" I covered my eyes and he laughed.

"Ya took the only towel there City." He said still laughing and I tossed the towel at him and he disappeared into the bathroom.

"Well that was disturbing. I coulda lived without seein that." I was figuring out that unlike his brother, Merle was not shy. "We need to go somewhere for supplies, I'm starving and I'm sure y'all are to." Daryl walked over to the window and peered out.

"There is a dollar store across the street that we could easily run over to and see if it has been looted." He said and I walked over to look. There were few walkers and there wasn't any car's in the parking lot at all. I hoped that was a sign that there wouldn't be any walkers in the store. Merle came out of the bathroom in nothing but boxers and Daryl went in.

"Ya know my brothers a lucky man." Merle spoke as I was staring out the window while he finished getting dressed.

"How so?" I asked not turning from the window.

"Yer good with a bow, good fer em." He said simply.

"Thanks."

"Yer pretty good looking to." I turned to look at him expecting to see him looking me up and down, but he wasn't. The emotion I saw on his face was one of longing and he was looking into my eyes. "Ya got any Indian in ya?" he asked.

"Like India Indian or Native American Indian?"

"Native American."

"Yeah I have Cherokee Indian somewhere in my bloodline on both my mom and dads side. Didn't ever get any of the benefits of it though."

"I always liked the looks of Indian women shame your taken." He looked serious and sad.

"Oh Merle, I don't think you could handle a Moore girl." I said putting my hand on his shoulders and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. I walked to the mirror over the sink in the room and ran the brush through my already drying hair.

"Moore?"

"Yeah it's my maiden name, figured id go back to it."

Daryl came out of the bathroom dried and dressed. "Y'all ready to go?"

"Go where?" Merle asked.

"Supply run, dollar store across the street." Daryl answered pointing out the window.

"Yeah just gotta put my shoes on." I said sitting on the bed to pull my shoes on. When I was done I grabbed my recurve bow and slung the quiver over my back. I grabbed the empty duffle bag that had once held my stash of food and slung it over my shoulder. "Mkay I'm ready" I stood and went to the door where the two men were waiting. They opened it and we made a mad dash to the store across the street.

We got to the store and opened the doors to find it empty like I had hoped. Merle held the doors to keep out the few walkers that had gathered while Daryl and I rummaged through the untouched store. I filled the bag with canned foods, and non perishable boxed foods as well as a few sweets. I went to the ice box that held the sodas and piled them into the bag as wall. I went to the isle that had all the kitchen supplies and grabbed some bowls, a can opener and some spoons and forks and tossed them into the bag. My last stop was the feminine hygiene isle I tossed in plenty of my favorite one into the bag and stopped when I saw the condoms, eh I would run out of birth control eventually so I tossed them in.

Daryl met me at the store entrance with blankets, pillows and socks and underwear for all of us. He shoved them into the already full bag and I zipped it as much as I could without breaking it, and slung it over my shoulder. We all got our knives out as we readied ourselves to kill the six walkers that had gathered at the doors.

Merle let go of the door handles and the geeks stumbled in. A skinny girl with bloody blond hair stumbled my way and I jammed the blade deep in her eye socket, blood flying everywhere when I pulled it out. I pushed her to the side as another heavier set girl came at me and I plunged the knife into the side of her head. She fell to the ground with the four walkers that Merle and Daryl had killed.

With the threatening walkers dead we ran back across the road and into the room. We ate a breakfast of chicken noodle soup and drank hot gator aid, then gathered our things to get back on the road. We were loading things into the truck when I figured out why the water at the motel not only ran but was hot. The sign to the motel had all green energy written on it and sure enough I glanced up to see solar panels lining the roof of the building. I made yet another mental note to keep and eye out for more of them the next time we were looking for a place to stop. I climbed into the truck and we were on the road again.

~2 days later~

I was looking at the map when I heard Merle say we had just passed the Louisiana state line into Texas. We had spent the past two days traveling, stopping only to clear cars off of the roads. We spent the nights in random hotel rooms, and ate dinners of canned foods.

"Were in Texas did ya say yer family lived?" Merle asked looking at the map with me.

"I didn't say, but they lived in apartments in Beaumont."

"Ya mean they live, ya said lived." Daryl corrected me.

"Yeah. That's what I meant." I went back to mapping out our rout to Beaumont. My stomach was getting upset as I thought about the possibilities of what we would find when we got their apartment. Would they still be there? If they were would they be alive or would they be walkers? Or if they weren't there what would we do?

"Yer thinking too much again." Daryl interrupted my mental freak out.

"Yeah I know, can't help it."

"Ya should talk bout it. Tell me what thoughts are bouncing round in that noggin of yours."

"I was just thinking bout what we would find when we found their apartments."

"Do me a favor, don't. If ya do ya will either loose hope or get your hopes up, so don't think about it. Focus on keepin yer head clear."

"Mmk thanks Daryl. It should take about 40 or 45 minutes get to Beaumont." He nodded and despite trying to keep my head clear my nerves was getting the best of me. If I wasn't tapping my foot I was drumming my fingers against the dash board.

"Oh my god, Talitha you have to calm down yer driving me nuts." Merle said grabbing my knee and pressing down on it to stop my foot from tapping.

"Sorry I can't help it."

"I'm with my brother on this one, ya have to get still." Daryl chimed in. "Merle said yer a good singer. Why don't ya try that to distract yer self?"

"Uh ok sure, but I don't know what at sing."

"Well what kinda music did ya used to listen to?" Daryl asked.

"Everything but rap crap and classical. I listened to very little rock."

"Know any Evanescence?" Merle asked. "What? The lead chick was hot." I laughed.

"Yeah but I don't know all the lyrics, and her songs are really hard to sing, for me anyways. I got one. *Dry lightning cracks across the skies, Those storm clouds gather in her eyes, Daddy was mean ole mister, Mama was an angel in the ground The weather man called for a twister She prayed blow it down There's not enough rain in Oklahoma To wash the sins out of that house There's not enough wind in Oklahoma To rip the nails out of the past Shatter every window till it's all blown away, Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away Till there's nothing left standing, Nothing left to yesterday Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away, Blown away She heard those sirens screaming out, Her daddy laid there passed out on the couch She locked herself in the cellar Listened to the screaming of the wind Some people called it taking shelter She called it sweet revenge…(and so on…)* the men looked at me confused when I finished the song.

"Ok let me get this straight, her dad was abusive to her so she left him in the house to be killed while she hid in the cellar and lived?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah ya never heard Blown Away by Carrie Underwood?" both of the men just shook their heads.

The rest of the ride consisted of them giving me songs to sing. Amazingly enough it eased my tension. That was until I started seeing the familiar buildings of Beaumont. I directed them to the apartment building from memory and we pulled into the parking lot. There were a few walkers scattered across the lot but nothing we couldn't handle. We took the walkers down as they approached us on our way to the apartment. We walked up the stars to the door and I tried the knob to find it locked. I looked through the peep hole to see if anyone was inside to find it empty.

"Anything inside?" Merle asked.

"Not that I can tell." I stepped aside and Daryl kicked in the door.

**Violet's Pov-**

I could hear them before I could see them. An old single cab pick up truck with motorcycles in the back drove right past us. My brother and a few of our neighbors had been held up in a public library down the street from the apartments we tried to evacuate from.

We were going to evacuate to the woman's shelter that everyone said was a safe place, but when we heard guns firing near it we decided it would be best if we went home. We ended up getting cut off by a herd of geeks so big that the van wouldn't make it through. We ended up abandoning the vehicle and ran into the library for safety. The van was out of gas and so were the cars surrounding the library, making our stay became permanent. None of had any real weapons, so leaving the library was out of the question. Luckily there were plenty of vending machines in the big library, we rationed the food and drinks carefully not knowing how long it would be until someone came to our rescue.

I ran I got my brother excitedly when I saw the truck, and the group of people in the library followed. The top floor of the building was nothing but glass windows and about five of ten minutes after the truck had went by it came by again we all waved our arms hoping they would see us, but they few right past. I slumped my shoulders and was walking away when my brother stopped me. "They are coming back!" he yelled happily. And I turned to see a man in a sleeveless plaid shirt get out of the truck and shoot the nearest walker with a crossbow. The man stepped on the geeks head and retrieved his arrow before stabbing another in the head with the arrow. I looked away to see another man and a woman killing the few surrounding walkers expertly. The woman looked up toward us and my heart stopped.

"Leon is that…Talitha!" we said her name at the same time before we rushed to the first floor and met them at the doors. I flung my self into Lyla's arms not caring who the men were. When I pulled away Leon took his turn hugging her, not caring that the last time they had spoken they had been yelling at each other. When they finally released each other we led them inside. The men looked rough, but not the rough like everyone looked now days. Rough like they could have possibly been bad men before the end of the world, especially the older one, even though he did have some nice blue eyes. They didn't seam like my sisters usual friends and I was anxious to hear her story of the zombie apocalypse.

**A/N:** I want to thank everyone who reads my story, I'm glad y'all enjoy it and I'm having so much fun creating my own characters to throw into the world of the walking dead. As always REVIEW and have a great turkey day.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **see previous chapters.

**A/N:** hey guys sorry it took os long to update, i got caught up with thanksgiving and then my weekend was busy, so heres chapter 16 please let me know what ya'll think, and as always R&R. :-)

**Chapter 16**

**Violet's Pov.-**

"So this is Merle and Daryl." Talitha said sliding her arm around Daryl's waist. Who were these men and how had she met them? They looked so different than the people that Talitha had been friends with in the past. Talitha usually made friends with the uppity rich people like her husband. She moved to Houston when she graduated from high school to try to prove she was better than the tomboy country bumpkin she was. The last time she had spoken to our brother as when she announced she was going to marry Kayde, a rich military man who just wanted Talitha to be the perfect domestic woman. We had been raised to not let a man control us, and yet that was exactly what she did. The man had her wrapped around his finger, making her do his bidding and making him look good to his superiors. I didn't under stand why she made herself into someone she wasn't just for a man.

The last time I had seen Lyla was at a family reunion. She was a completely different person then the girl I grew up with, the Talitha I saw that day had highlights in her beautiful raven hair (the color contrast resembled a skunk), makeup plastered on her face making her look like a porcelain doll, and wore a pink sequined cocktail dress. The Talitha that was standing before me today was the one I grew up with. Cargo pants, green t-shirt, hair that was plain raven black pulled back into a ponytail, dirt smudged face and to complete her look was our dads' longbow and quiver slung over her shoulder.

I loved seeing her this was again but I didn't love the looks of the two men standing on each side of her, or the way she was standing so close to the one called Daryl. I especially didn't like the way the older one was looking at me, like he was studying me. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him, challenging him.

"So Talitha, how's the past week treated ya?" Leon asked her. And she told use all about her past days how she went from military base to military base until she finally ran into survivors in Atlanta, the attack on their camp, the CDC and her journey to find me. "So what happened to Kayde? Ya finally get smart and leave his ass?" I knew Leon was going to bring him up, and I saw tears form in the corners of her eyes at his question.

"No, he got bit." She said wiping a tear off of her cheek. "He was the first person id seen get bit and change." I didn't much like the guy but no one deserves to die, and Lyla didn't deserve to see the man die. "Look, I know ya'll didn't like him and didn't understand, but I did love him." I saw a flash of emotion on Daryl's face when she said it, before it went back to being expressionless. "That's in the past and I'm with Daryl now." She looked at the man and smiled, he flashed her a smirk before he kissed her quickly on the cheek. Leon snorted and rolled his eyes. "Let me guess ya don't approve of him either do ya?"

"Talitha, you barely know this guy, you have known him for what, a week and a half at the most. And look at him, he looks like the kind of man that would murder you in your sleep, and the other man over there looks worse." I could see Daryl's hands curl into tight fists by his side. I thought the man was going to punch my brother, but Lyla stepped in front of him facing him. I could see her shake her head and put her hand on his shoulder. His fists relaxed and she turned to face our brother. Walking toward him as she spoke.

"Ya don't know the first damn thing about these men. They have saved my life countless times, when a cop tried to rape me, when a ass hole held a knife to my throat, when some little bitches bullied me, when a walker tried to eat me, they stood by me and protected me. They helped me get here safely to ya and Violet." She was right in his face now. "Now, ya either apologize to them or I'm leaving, because the world is ending and I'm not going to spend the remainder of it fighting with ya."

"NO! Ya can't leave. Leon apologize please, we can't loose her now." I begged my brother. He seamed to think it over for a long time before he spoke.

"Fine, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." He spoke to the men first then to Talitha.

"Thanks." Talitha said before she pulled him in for another hug. She wiped tears when she pulled away, then walked back to Daryl. "So who are ya'll she asked motioning to the other four people in the room.

"This is Greta and George Boudreaux, and Cammy and Camile Davis. They were all our neighbors." I said pointing to each as I said their names.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I studied the people as Violet pointed at them. Greta and George were your normal Louisiana couple, and Cammy and Camile were your typical overly tanned, blond hair, big boob stereotypes. Merle was going to love then, or so I thought, he hadn't taken his eyes off of my sister since he had seen here. "Just call me Lyla." I told the people and nodded at them. "How come ya'll haven't went back to the apartments?"

"As ya can see we have no weapons. We didn't want to take the chance of getting bit." Violet answered.

"So ya'll don't have a plan to get somewhere safe?" I asked.

"We have been safe here so far."

"Yeah, but the walls of the top floor are nothing but glass and a majority of the bottom floor is to. If a herd of those things comes by here they could bust the glass. It's not safe here."

"What do ya mean herd?" my brother asked.

"Those things like to travel together, in groups." Daryl answered, and my brother didn't even look at him.

"So if it's not safe here what do we do? Were do we go? We're pretty sure the woman's shelter is over run." Leon said.

"I don't know, but we have to get ya'll something to protect yourselves with before we go anywhere. Leon, didn't dad give ya and Violet a bow like he did me?" I asked.

"Yeah, but they are back at the apartment, we haven't been there since the outbreak."

"Did he give ya'll any arrows? And he must have given ya some knives."

"Yeah, but like Leon said, they are back at the apartment." Violet answered me this time.

"Well we will go back and get them. Where are they?" I asked.

"They are in my bedroom closet, the bows, quivers arm guards, knives, everything." Leon answered me.

"Ok Daryl, come with me to go get them and Merle, will you stay here to protect them?" I asked and he nodded as Daryl and I made our way to the front door. Merle, Leon and Violet followed and locked the door behind us.

**Merle's Pov-**

I shut and locked the door of the Library when Lyla and Daryl ran out. I watched them run down the street killing geeks silently as they did. When I could no longer see couple, I turned to look at the brother and sister who were standing behind me, staring. It was awkward so I broke the silence. "So, yer Violet and Leon?" they just nodded before Leon spoke.

"I'm goin to wait with the other up stairs, come on Violet." He ordered. And I recognized the look Violet gave him. It was the same look Lyla got when someone did something she thought was wrong.

"I think I'm going to stay here and wait." Leon grabbed her by the arm to pull her up the stairs, but she jerked away. "I said I'm going to wait here."

"I'm not going to leave you alone with this stranger." He said with a sneer in my direction. This prick was really starting to piss me off. He grabbed her arm again and she jerked back again.

"Yer bein an ass today, I said I'm stayin here so I'm stayin. If Lyla trust him there's a reason. So leave me alone." He grabbed her arm again but this time she slapped him. "Yer not the fuckin boss of me, I'm 22 years old I can make my own decisions. Now leave!" Oh yeah she is definitely Talitha's sister, they couldn't be more alike. She turned to me as her brother stomped up the stairs angrily. "Sorry bout that, he can be kinda…protective of Talitha and me."

"No problem. I get it." I said. "Yer a lot like yer sister from what I see."

"What do ya mean?"

"Ya seam to be the no bullshit kinda girl like her."

"Ha! Lyla? A no bullshit girl? Since when?" she snorted.

"I don't know since when, but she is now. She tased me at the Atlanta camp before we got to know each other."

"Haha that's funny." She said laughing at the thought of Lyla tasing me, and I shot her a dirty look. "Sorry, but the thought of Talitha tasing a big guy like you is kinda funny. The last time I saw her she was a domesticated wimp."

"'snot funny, and she's not a wimp now. She came into camp a little spitfire; lots of people were scared of her, except me and Daryl of course."

"Whatcha do to make her tase you?" she asked curiously.

"Uh I tend to have a temper and its worse when I've popped some pills. She pissed me off at the wrong time and I held a knife to her throat. So she tased me to get away." She stopped smiling and stared at me. "I'm a different person now, personality changed when I got off drugs." I stated simply and she nodded.

"So what about yer brother? He does drugs to?" she asked and I could tell it was to protect her sister.

"No, he never has. He helped me make them and sell them before the world went to shit, but he never did them." She just nodded and stared at the floor. I took this time to observe her. Her hair was the same raven black as her sisters and it was pulled into a messy ponytail, her skin tone was the same, but she was shorter, and her clothing stile was a bit more feminine, she was wearing a pink plaid button up shirt over a white tank top, cuffed shorts and brown cowboy boots.

She tapped her foot while we stood by the front doors. I could tell she was nervous, but I wasn't sure what of. "Ya nervous?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Don't like them being out there by themselves. What is something happens? What is someone gets bit?" she asked.

"They will be fine, not many walkers out there and they can handle themselves." I tried to reassure her, but her foot still tapped away at the floor. "My brother loves yer sister ya know. He won't let anything happen to her."

"How do ya know that he loves her? They have only known each other for like a week."

"I know he loves her because I have never seen him act this way over a woman before, he even yelled at me over her and that's really sayin somethin." I said. "Ya will see it to once yer around them for a few days." She just nodded her head.

We were sitting there in silence when a walker wondered its way over to the building, it spotted us and its pace quickened. It was a girl in a dirty dress and cowboy boots, and Violet didn't see it coming. She jumped and screamed when it slammed into the glass where she was leaning. She walked up to the glass and pressed her hand to where the walker was scratching away. "Sally." I heard her whisper.

"Someone you knew?" I asked and she nodded. "Want me to end her suffering?" she looked at me when she finally caught on to what I meant.

"She was one of my best friends. We were supposed to go to a Miranda Lambert concert together before all of this happened. That's why I'm dressed like this." She got quiet for a while before she spoke again. "Will you please put her out of her misery?" she asked and I nodded. I got out my knife and unlocked the door and I checked for other walkers before I opened it. I could see Violet turn her back to the glass before I slammed the knife in the side of the walkers Sally's head. She fell to the ground with a thud. I sheathed my knife on my hip before I reentered the building.

Violet was hugging herself with her back turned to me and I could see her body shaking. Crap, Dixons don't do well with tears. I did the only comforting thing I could think of, I placed my hand on her shoulder. As soon as I did she spun around and hugged me. I froze no one had ever hugged me but my mom, believe it or not. I didn't know what to do, so I just let my hand rest on the back of her head. "Thank you." She whispered in my ear before she pulled away.

"Welcome." Was all I could manage to say. We were completely silent for about five or so minutes after that, and it was starting to get awkward so I broke the silence. "How long does it take to grab a few bows and get back here?" I asked and was about to go recruit someone to go help me look for them when I saw them move swiftly around a car and run to the door of the building. I opened it letting them in before shutting and locking it.

"Geeze did ya'll loot my entire house?" Violet asked the two who were panting from running such a long distance. They both had two duffle bags and each held an unstrung long bow that looked exactly like Lyla's.

"Yeah, sorry we figured ya would like some clean clothes, and we cleaned out yer cabinets. Why'd ya have so many freakin canned foods, stockin up or somethin?" she asked and Violet laughed.

"No, I got a little bit too into couponing about a month ago and I went a little wild. Came in handy though didn't it?" she said with a smirk, and I found myself smirking along with her. "Let's get this stuff upstairs, we have stuff to discuss." We walked up the stairs to the main floor.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the walking dead.

**Chapter 17**

**Merle's Pov-**

We were on the top floor of the library debating our next move. The dumb blonds were dead set on going to the California coast, typical. The Boudreaux couple wanted to go to the nearest military base before Lyla shut them down. The bimbo twins weren't taking to well to the new leader. It didn't surprise me that Lyla stepped up to the plate, but her brother was fighting her on it every step of the way. Lyla would suggest one thing and he would suggest another. The man was pissing me off. It pretty much took an act of congress for her to get everyone to agree on going to the county jail. It stood three against seven for a while. Many argued that the place would be over run. While others argued that if it wasn't over run with walkers it would be with dangerous men. I finally pulled Leon aside.

"Look man, we need to get somewhere safe, and the prison isn't any more dangerous than anywhere else would be." I stated.

"How do you know? We could walk into a death trap." He answered.

"Yeah but would it not be worth it in the end if it turns out to just be filled with walkers?" he rolled his eyes. "I know that sounds bad but a group this size could take out a lot of walkers with brains and silent weapons."

"Yeah, sure" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious, and all I care about is keepin my brother safe, and I'm sure ya want to keep yer family safe as well. So why don't ya just side with us on this one? That way we can get everyone else on our side as well." He stood there thinking about it for a while before he nodded his head and walked back to the group.

Things fell into place after that, everyone accepted the plan to go to the county jail in the morning. I was sitting by the window watching the sun set when Lyla joined me. "So whatcha say to my brother to get him to change his mind?"

"Just that if we could clear the prison that it would be a safe place for his family." She nodded her head with a distant look in her eyes. "Noticed he's protective of ya." I shrugged my shoulder and went back to looking at the random walkers on the ground below.

"Yeah, gets kinda annoying. Sometimes it's like he forgets that I have my own brain in my head." She said and I nodded my head. "So I saw ya lookin at my sister earlier." She said causing my head to snap up. I hadn't realized I had made it that obvious. "Ya like her don't cha?" she asked in a sing song voice and I felt heat rise to my cheeks, crap. I turned to look back out the window hoping to hide it. "Ha-ha its fine I don't care, but my brother might, so just warnin ya." She stood up and patted me on the shoulder before she walked away. What was it with these girls and touching people? I didn't like people touching me; non aggressive human contact always brought visions of my mom into my head. She was the only person that had ever shown any affection toward me. The last time I had seen her she hugged me tight and told me she loved me then she disappeared into her bedroom to relax and have a smoke. She never came out.

"Ya ok? Ya look like someone ran over yer dog." The voice came from behind me and I looked up to see Violets' reflection in the glass of the window. She had changed clothes; she was now wearing jeans and a plain blue t-shirt.

"I'm fine." I said simply.

"Ya don't look fine." She had a concerned look on her face.

"Just thinking bout somethin"

"Do ya want to talk about it? It might help." The look on her face suggested she felt sorry for me and I normally would have told her to go to hell, but there was something in her chocolate brown eyes that made me talk.

"I was thinking bout my mom. She burned to death when me and Daryl were kids. After that our dad became a mean mother fucker. Always beating us and yelling at us, I always tried to take most of Daryl's beatings for em, but when I got older I wasn't always 'round." The 'I feel sorry for you' look was gone from her face and was replaced with one of understanding.

"Our mom died when I was 15, but our dad didn't get mean. I think he grieved himself to death because he died about a month after her. He was perfectly healthy the doctors couldn't find a reason why he died." I nodded my head in understanding.

"I feel bad now for leaving Daryl alone with our dad, because the man was meaner to him than he was to me. I think it was because Daryl looks so much like our mom, that's where he got his beauty mark thing. Our old man put em in the hospital once. Daryl didn't tell them it was our father that put em there but I knew it was em. The son of a bitch had stabbed em three times; broke his jaw and apparently he had used em as a human ash tray because he has circle scars on his sides." She was just staring at me with those pretty eyes; a tear had formed in the corners of them. "I always stayed so fucked up on whatever I could get my hands on just to keep from thinking bout all this shit."

"Have ya told em how ya feel?" she asked.

"Na, don't think it will change anything, plus I think he knows." She just nodded.

"I think ya should, I keep waitin for Talitha to tell me she's sorry for leavin me with just Leon to look after me, but it hasn't happened yet." She stared out of the window, though it was pitch black outside now. "It's getting late, ya should get to sleep." I stood up and without thinking about it I held my hand out to help her up. She took it and I pulled her up, overestimating her weight and she slammed into my chest. Her face was buried into my chest and I was frozen once again from our unexpected contact.

"What tha fuck ya think yer doin redneck?" I heard Leon's angry voice and I automatically pushed her away like a kid caught with his and in the cookie jar.

"Uh…accident?" It came out like a question and he just sneered at me.

"Leon he was just helping me stand up. It really was an accident." Violet said innocently.

"Better have been." Leon said with a glare in my direction before he walked away. We followed and I took my sleeping bag next to my brother. I watched as Violet slipped into her sleeping bag next to Lyla. Sleep over came me quickly.

**Talitha's Pov-**

We were all up when the sun came up. There really was no sleeping in in a building that was made of glass. We ate cold raviolis for breakfast, thanks to Violet and her over shopping. We loaded everything we needed for inside the library into the back of Daryl's truck. We took the motorcycles out of the back of it before I grabbed the map out of the glove box and Daryl watched as I mapped the rout to the prison. I only knew the way because I remembered going there to see my uncle, he killed himself not to long after that. I stuck the map back in the glove box. Daryl and I had discussed the night before that we were going to need another vehicle; we only had seating for 7 people, that wasn't going to work for 9 people. So Daryl and I announced the problem and that we were going to go lookin for a usable vehicle and would me back soon.

We were rounding the back corner of the building when we saw the gigantic horde of geeks heading towards us. There group must have consisted of the entire city of Beaumont. We looked at each other in panic. Daryl nodded his head in the direction of the building entrance. We backtracked our path and entered the building locking the doors behind us. We ran up the stairs to the top floor, every one was already at the back side of the building staring at the massive herd through the glass. "Get down!" I hissed and we all dropped to the floor. "Do you think they know we are in here?" I asked Daryl and he just shrugged.

"We can still make a run for the truck; some people can ride in the bed." Merle offered with a serious look.

"Its risky but its all we got. We all good with this plan?" every one nodded. "Ok, twins yer in the bed of the truck, Boudreaux's yer in the truck, Daryl yer drivin. Merle and Violet yer on his motorcycle and me and Leon on mine. Violet his is the old black one just follow him, and everyone protect yourselves. Let's go and be as quiet as you can." Every one had their weapons readied as we headed to the doors down stairs. Daryl was by me as we moved fast.

"I love ya and ya be safe. Got me?" he asked as we neared the bottom of the stairs. I nodded and kissed him quickly before we ran out of the doors and to our designated vehicles, which were not as surrounded by walkers as they would have been if we would have waited much longer. Leon was taking down walkers as we went behind everyone else. I killed walkers until every one was in the vehicle and ready to go. I could hear someone scream as I climbed on my motorcycle in front of Leon, cranked it and sped off behind the motorcycle and the truck.

"Did anyone get bit?" the question came from behind me.

"I don't know Leon."

"Hope you know what yer doin on this thing."

"I do Leon, I drove it since the world ended and I haven't died yet. Just make sure you lean with me when we turn or you will make things way more difficult than they need to be."

"Kay." He was silent for a second. "Was it just me or did one of the twins scream?"

"I don't know Leon." He was aggravating me with his stupid question. Then again that wasn't anything new. He always aggravated me.


	18. Chapter 18

**disclaimer: **i dont own the walking dead. just my characters.

**Chapter 18**

**Daryl's Pov-**

I had sat down in the drivers' seat of the truck when I heard a scream. I turned around to look out of the back window to see a walker latched onto the arm of one of the twins. Her sister kicked it off of her before I cranked the truck and took off. I could see the two motorcycles following behind us. "Get the map out of the glove box will ya?" I spat to the woman sitting next to me with tears in her eyes. And George opened the compartment and handed it to Greta. "I need one of ya to tell me where to go, Lyla mapped out the way earlier." She found the markings and started telling me were to go, but my mind wasn't on the road. All I could think about was if Lyla was ok, was she bit? Was her brother taking care of her?

"Watch it!" Greta said and grabbed the steering wheel keeping me from hitting a broken down car. "Do you want me to drive?" she asked and I shook my head.

**Talitha's Pov-**

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Daryl swerve barely missing a car. It wasn't like him to be so reckless so I sped up to get even with the truck window. I pointed at him and held my hand up, thumb and pointer finger making an O, my middle, ring and pinky pointing up 'are you ok'. He nodded and I pointed at myself then held up two fingers 'me to'. I could see a small smirk spread across his face. I pointed to him, my eyes then the road, 'keep yer eyes on the road'. He nodded and I sped up to get in front of him. I figured it would give him less to think about seeing as I knew the way to the Jail.

**Merle's Pov- **

I ended up last in the convoy which was fine with me. Being last meant that we would be the last to run into trouble. Normally I would want to be first because I always thought myself to be the strongest, but now I have Violet's safety to think about. The whole concept of having a female under my care was foreign to me. The only person I had ever been in charge of before was my little brother and I had failed him so many times it wasn't funny. I couldn't let anything happen to her or I would have the wrath of Lyla and my conscious to deal with.

Violet's arms were wrapped around my waist a little too tight but it wasn't bothering me. I was starting to like the feel of her arms around me when she slowly loosened them and slid her hands to the middle of my back to grip handfuls of my shirt. The gripping of my shirt pulled the collar tight around my neck, this was bugging me. "Yer choking me woman." I didn't mean it to sound as harsh as it did.

"Sorry," she released my shirt but kept her hands pressed firmly to my back. "I've always been scared of motorcycles, no seatbelts and all." I laughed. "I uh…don't know how to hold on." I could tell she was nervous about being so close to me on what was a dangerous from of transportation in her head.

"Well ya can hold on to my waist like ya was before, just not so tight, or ya can hold on to my shoulders. Anythin ya find comfortable that doesn't choke me is fine." I told her and she slid her arms back around my waist. We rode like that until we pulled into the prison parking lot. Talitha and Leon got off of her bike and went to the truck were everyone else was and Violet and I followed. Daryl got out of the truck and wrapped Lyla in his arms kidding her and whispering in her ear. Her face fell and she looked into the bed of the truck where the blonds were. Eventually everyone was surrounding the bed of the truck.

One of the girls had been bitten and was lying unconscious. "Is she dead?" I asked the conscious girl. She nodded her head, her face and her sister shirt was soaked with tears.

"Can everyone give us a moment?" she asked and we all walked away. I could hear her whispering to her sister, then the sound of a knife being plunged into her sisters' skull. Apparently the girl was stronger than I gave her credit for. We walked beck to the truck. "What do I do with her I can't just leave her here?" she asked and Lyla answered her telling her that we would burry her when we cleared out the prison yard.

"The place looks completely abandoned on the outside. Could be on the inside to, or it could be the exact opposite." I offered.

"Only one way to find out." My brother said calmly. "Lets go." We walked up to peek through the window of the brick main building, empty. Lyla tried the door to find it unlocked so we filed in slowly. There was a dead body lying in the receptionist chair, I walked over and poked it with my knife. It soared to life lunging at me and snapping its teeth, I plunged my knife into the side of its head. We split up into two groups to take on the two main hallways branching off of the main area. I peeked around the corner down the hallway to find about five geeks in police officer uniforms.

I held up five fingers and pointed down the hall and they nodded, weapons ready. I rounded the corner and took down the first walker I came to as Violet, George and Greta took down one each and I ran to the end of the hall to take down the last walker. I heard a commotion behind me and I turned to see Violet fighting a walker, my hearts stopped. It had her pressed against the wall. It was taking both of the hands to fight it off and the others had run to the other end of the hall to help take on the rest of the walkers there. I ran towards her skidding to a stop to slam my knife in the back of the zombies head. It fell to the ground with a thud. She bent down with her hands on her knees breathing hard. "Are ya bit?" I asked and she didn't answer me. "I asked are ya bit woman?" I demanded worried but it came out sounding angry.

"Get yer hands off me I'm fine." He said slapping my hand away.

"Okay, fine be that way." I looked over to see the others walking over to join us.

"Everything Okay here?" Leon asked eyeing me.

"Yeah, saver her from a walker." I said kicking the dead body, and violet nodded to verify my statement. We had a group meeting in the center of the main room.

"This building is secure, now but should be stay here for today or should we clear out the one of the buildings with the cells in them? We have plenty of daylight left and cells mean beds for tonight." Lyla said to the group.

"I'm all for beds." Greta spoke up and her husband and Leon shook their heads in agreement. The blond girl just stared blankly at Lyla she wasn't taking the death of her sister very well.

"Are ya'll all for fighting for them? The buildings are probably going to have more walkers in them then this one did, and there might even still be living inmates in them." Lyla asked. And everyone nodded. "We will have to say on our toes be quiet and quick." She nodded to the back door and we all walked toward it. Lyla tried it, locked.

"I'll go look for the keys" I said and ran over to the desk. There was a key ring with a bunch of keys on it lying on the desk and I grabbed them and ran back to the group. Lyla started trying different keys. "Hey Blondie."

"My name is Cammy not blondie." she said giving me a glare that could pierce Steel.

"Well, Cammy, keep yer head in the game girl. Don't need anyone else getting eaten." She sneered and nodded her head before Lyla found the right key and opened the door to reveal a path with a tall chain link fence on both sides. There went any zombies that could be seen but I kept my knife ready anyways. Walkers started gathering at the fences on either side of us was we walked. "Think we should kill them?" I asked Lyla and she shook her head.

"Na lets just get to one of the buildings first and clear it out. We will worry about the others later." We took a right turn in the path and it led us to a big building. Lyla tried the knob before trying different keys. We could see through the window that there were quite a few geeks inside. I heard the lock click as she unlocked the door. "Ok guys stay in a circle formation, don't break it unless it's absolutely necessary." She spoke and the door squeaked as she opened it. We all killed walkers as we got into formation. Everyone it was hard to watch everyone when you're so set on keeping yourself and the people next to you safe.

Before we knew it we were standing in the center of the room with a circular pile of zombie bodies at out feet. The building was clear with the exception of the two stories of cells. I saw Lyla and Daryl hug each other, the Boudreaux's high five each other, Leon walked around me to give his sister a hug. "So shall we clear the cells?" I asked wanting to break up the awkward moment.

"Yeah, take two people up with you to the upper level and Daryl and the rest of us will clear the lower level." Lyla directed me and I nodded.

"Kay, who wants to come with me?" Violet and Cammy volunteered, and we walked to the end of the building were the stairs were. A stray walker fell down the stairs landing on top of me, I pushed it off and Violet stabbed it in his temple. "Thanks." I said before heading up the stairway. We didn't have any keys to unlock the cells so we took the walkers down through the bars of the cells. Most of the upper cells were vacant, so it didn't take long before we had the upper level clear.

We went down stairs and joined the others. "Okay guys, this building is clear and safe, we didn't find any surviving prisoners." Lyla said.

"Okay now what do we do? We cant live here with these dead bodies in here." Greta spoke up.

"Well we can clear the fenced in yard that belongs to this building then drag them out there and burn them." She looked at the blond who was staring at one of the dead bodies. "Cammy, would you rather burn Camile's body? Because we don't really have anything to dig a whole with and I doubt they kept shovels around here." The girl just nodded her head never taking her eyes off of the dead body. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just thinking. Can we burn my sister's body separately so her ashes don't get mixed in with a bunch of convicts?" she was looking Lyla directly in the eyes when she asked the question and Lyla nodded.

"Okay let's go clear out that yard then." I said then looked at Lyla. "How you want to do it? Through the fence would be safer than going into the yard." I suggested and everyone nodded. So we went out the way we came in and started taking down the walkers as they gathered at the fence. The yard was small so it didn't take long to clear it. We went back inside and started clearing out the dead walkers.

The sun was setting as Cammy and I carried out the last walker, setting it in the big pile that had formed. We went back inside and met the group who had already formed a circle. "So I say we burn them in the morning. The light of the fire will just draw more walkers toward us." Daryl suggested and everyone agreed.

"So we sleep in the cells here?" The blond asked and everyone just gave her a duh look. "It stinks in here is all I'm saying. I think I saw a supply closet on the top floor maybe there is some cleaning supplies in there?" the blond was being stupid but no one felt like arguing so Lyla nodded and tossed her the keys. "Well is someone going to come with me? This place is creepy." She said and I nodded following her. Why I volunteered to go get something as stupid as cleaning supplies I don't know. We got to the closet and unlocked the door the smell of bleach and air freshener filled my nose. It was so strong that I had to hold back the urge to puke.

The smell didn't seam to bother her; she just walked right on in and started plucking supplies off of the shelves. She came out with a mop bucket filled with supplies and a mop. I just shook my head at her. "What? Not all of us like the smell of death." Was all she said as she walked back down the stairs.

Soon the whole prison smelled of bleach. I opened the door leading to the year to air it out some but she just came in behind me and closed it. I could tell by the look on violets face that the blond was getting on her nerves as well. I walked over to her. "Blondie is getting on yer nerves to huh?" I asked and she nodded.

"She needs to be stopped before we all die from breathin in to much bleach fumes." She said with a glare in the blonds' direction. I nodded my head for her to follow me and I walked over to where my brother and Lyla were leaning up against the wall near the now open again door. "We have to do something about her before she suffocates us all to death." I told them and they nodded.

"I'll go talk to her and see if I can get her to stop." Lyla said and we all watched at she crossed the room to where the girl was wiping away at blood on the wall. We could see her talking to her but we couldn't tell what she was saying. The blond shook her head no and Lyla held her hand out for the rag and bleach container. She girl shook her head no again and went back to cleaning the wall. Lyla grabbed the girls' wrist to stop her from wiping the wall. Cammy spun around and pushed Lyla hard both Daryl and Violet were there in a flash. I followed behind slowly. The girl had officially snapped, she was taking swings at the three people surrounding her but they were faster. They pinned her to the wall, Lyla was holding her hands down and Daryl had his forearm pressed against the girls' upper back.

"What on earth has come over you?" Violet asked inches from Cammy's face that was pressed against the wall.

"Fuck you." Cammy said before she spat in Violet's face. Violet slapped her then wiped the spit off of her face.

"Okay, time for you to pay for that." Lyla said and tossed me the keys. "Open one of the cells would ya?" she asked and I obeyed. When I got the cell open the two walked the girl over to the cell. She fought and kicked the whole way. They shoved her hard into the cell and slammed the door before she could run out. I locked the door.

"You can't do this to me you bitch!" the girl yelled at Lyla.

"Tell someone who cares." Lyla told the girl sarcastically before she turned her back and walked away. Cammy was still screaming and cursing Lyla when we all went out to the truck to gather our supplies. When we got back to the cell block she was passed out on the dirty bunk in the cell.

We ate a small dinner of cold canned food before people went searching for cells with clean beds. I watched as Daryl and Lyla chose a cell at the end of the upper level. The Boudreaux's chose one on the lower level closest to the door explaining that they wanted to be close to an exit in case of an emergency. Leon and Violet chose the one next to them and I chose the one next to theirs. Something was telling me to be as close to Violet as I could. The bunk of the cell wasn't the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in, but it was better than sleeping on the floor. Sleep overcame me easily that night.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** i do not own that walking dead.

**A/N:** sorry it took me so long to get a new chapter out guys. Christmas shopping has me distracted expicially considering my husband is in the military and wont be coming home for the holidays. :-(

**Chapter 19**

**Violet's Pov-**

I was grateful when someone shook me causing the terrible dream I was having to come to an end. "Hey, ya ok?" a gruff half asleep voice asked.

"I am now." I said uncovering my face with a sleepy groan. I wasn't surprised to see Merle standing nest to my bed. The man seamed to be a little attached to me. It made me a little bit uncomfortable. "What are ya doing in here?" I asked squinting at him.

"I was chillin in my cell when I heard you makin a ruckus in here." He just shrugged.

"Well I'm fine so you can leave now." I said and ducked my head back under the cover when he walked out of the room. I fell back to sleep, but sometime later my brother woke me up ever so nicely.

"Get yer lazy ass up, there's stuff to be done." He said kicking the mattress. I lazily rolled out of bed, slipped my shoes on, and walked to the main area. Everyone was up, dressed and eating, someone handed me a can of spaghetti O's and I gladly ate them even though they were cold.

"So what all needs to be done?" I asked when we were all throwing our cans into a trash bin near the back door that led to the yard.

"Well someone needs to make sure Blondie hasn't killed herself and the bodies outside need to be burnt." Merle stated and Talitha said she would go check on her.

"I don't think you should check on her, she seams to have a special hatred for you." She nodded her head and I started walking toward the cell she was in, I noticed Merle following me. "I said I got it." I said spinning to see what I thought was hurt flash quickly across his face before it was replaced by his normal look. He nodded once before he turned and walked away. I could have sworn his shoulders looked slight slumped. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings but the man needed to give me some space. He has watched me like a hawk since that day he arrived. He seamed to be an ok guy but I still didn't know him that well. I hoped I had not given him some sort of false hope that I liked him or something, because in this world there just doesn't seam to be room for things like romantic relationships.

I walked to the cell with a frown. Cammy was sitting on the bunk, elbows resting on her knees with her head in her hands. "Cammy? How are you?" She shifted to look at me, her eyes were puffy and her hair was a mess.

"How the fuck do you think I am?" she spat at me.

"I get it, id be a mess to if I lost Leon or Talitha."

"You don't fuckin get anything, you don't get that it is your fuckin sister that killed her."

"What are you talking about, my sister saved us."

"Your sister killed US! We were surviving before she came along."

"Yeah we were _surviving_. Now we can start living. We can live here in this place, sure it's not homey, but its tough, strong, those things can't get in and we are half way between two cities. We can live for years and years off of all the supplies we can gather from there."

"You don't get it do you? You won't live for years. Those things will find you and eat you alive just like they ate Camile. They will eat you, your brother your sister her fuck buddy and his rude ass brother. You. Will. All. Die." I didn't know how to argue with her words.

"Do you want to eat or not because if you want to die I won't bring you anything." She spat in my direction. "Guess that's a no." I shrugged my shoulders "Have fun starving to death." Spitting was one of the most disgusting things someone could do in my opinion. I walked back to Daryl and Talitha who were standing by the back door. "She is still just a pissed as before. She thinks that you killed her sister." I reported. "She is in a completely negative mind set, I couldn't reason with her."

"Well then we will just leave her in there until there is progress. Let her morn I guess, I don't know." Talitha said and Daryl went outside to join the others in burning the bodies, Talitha turned to follow.

"Hey Talitha can I speak to ya in private for a minute?" I asked.

"Yeah sure, what's up?"

"Well I was wanting to know uh what is up with Merle?" I asked nervously, if Talitha thought that I liked Merle she would never leave it alone.

"What'd ya mean?" she asked me suspiciously, crap.

"Well he seams to be a little attached er protective er something of me. He's been watching me from day one. Does he not trust me or something?" I asked the last question to throw off her suspicions.

"Well I think it's just because the three of us are so close, and he knows how much ya mean to me. I don't think it's anything personal." She aid with a shrug.

"Well, what's he like?"

"The only way I know how to describe him is he has a soft heart with a hard shell." that's all she would say? That didn't help much.

"Ok thanks." I turned to walk back to my cell.

"Oh and Vi," I turned to look at her, "please don't call me Talitha it's so…proper. Call me Lyla." She said and I nodded before I walked into my cell. We all called her Lyla when we were growing up. Just like everyone called me Vi. No one had called me vi since our parents died.

I walked outside to see a gigantic walker bonfire. The smell made me run to the back corner of the fence. Someone was holding my hair as I threw up a second time. I looked to see Lyla smile at me sheepishly. "Ya will get used to the smell or ya could go back inside, there are plenty of us to watch the fire." I took her advice and went back inside. I lay on my bunk trying to get the smell out of my nose for a good while before most of the others came back inside.

They were all sitting at one the many metal picnic tables in the main room and I walked over to join them. "So are Daryl and Lyla watching the fire?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's mostly burnt down now." Leon answered me.

"So do we have anything planned after that's done?" I asked.

"Um I think Lyla wanted someone to pick a cell and organize all of the supplies in it to keep us from having to dig through bags every time we need something." Leon answered again. I was having trouble concentrating on the conversation; they all smelled like burnt walkers. To keep from puking again I volunteered myself to organize the supplies.

I picked one of the upper cells and bumped out the bags of supplies. We had a good bit and if we rationed it, it would last us for about two weeks. Lyla had literally cleaned out my pantry and storage room, every thing from powered eggs, vegetable oil, powdered milk and even my cake and brownie mixes. Hey we had all the stuff it took to make a cake. Guess couponing every month and hording it all worked in my favor. I was laughing to myself when I heard someone behind me. I turned to see none other than Merle standing in the doorway of the cell. "What so funny?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nothin, just thinkin."

"Bout?"

"Nothin."

"Aw come on it was something or ya wouldn't be laughin." He said kneeling down to help sort out food.

"Really it was nothing." I didn't want to tell him what I was thinking; it might just give him more false hope.

"Mkay, if ya say so. So how are ya organizing all this shit?"

"I don't need help Merle." I had an aggravated tone to my voice.

"Are ya pissed or somethin?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

"No."

"Yer sure?"

"I'm not mad."

"Well somethin's wrong, ya been actin different."

"Merle just please leave me alone." I asked more than told. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied me for a minute.

"No."

"What did you say to me?"

"I said no. I'm not going to leave you alone. There is somethin wrong with ya and I'm not gonna let you hold it in and end up like Blondie. So ya talk to yer sister brother or me, but ya don't hold it in. It's not good for the gears up there, strips them out makes ya go all crazy and shit." I appreciated the thought, I really did but at the moment it was just angering me that her wouldn't leave. I crossed my arms over my chest, gritted my teeth and studied him. I couldn't help but notice his strong arms, tight chest and amazing blue eyes. He had on a black wife beater under a worn brown leather vest, worn jeans and a black and brown leather cuff bracelet. He looked tough and…hot, crap. He had to get out of there now.

"Merle I said LEAVE!" I shouted at him and my heart instantly sank to the ground the look on his face didn't help it any. It look in his face resembled a kicked puppy it made me feel like a monster. "Fine." He was looking at the ground as he walked away.

Erg! What was wrong with me? The man was being nothing but as caring as he could be and I did nothing but kick him while he was down. It was for the best; I couldn't have a relationship with him not right now not while we are still not 100% safe. I couldn't risk falling in love with someone just to have them ripped away from me.

I was thinking to my self about how I needed to apologize to him in some way when my hand landed on a can of icing. "Really Lyla? Icing?" I said out loud. We could all die from hunger eventually and she uses space in the bag for cake icing. I caught my self laughing again. I could make Merle an apology cake if I had an oven. This thought gave me an idea so I hurried through the rest of my job and walked beck to the main room where Lyla and Daryl had joined the lounging group.

"Well guys the supplies are all organized." I said and smiled tossing the bags on the table nest to the one everyone was sitting at. I noticed Merle didn't even glance in my direction. I got what I wanted, he wasn't watching me anymore, but I missed his gaze being on me.

"So now what? We just chill here?" Leon asked.

"No, well yeah we keep staying here, but I have a new mission request."

"What is it?" Lyla asked curiously.

"So we know we have running water, Cammy used it yesterday cleaning."

"So what's yer point?" Leon asked me.

"My point is if we are going to live here form now on, we need to find the showers and the kitchen. That way we can all shower on a regular basis and someone can cook a halfway decent meal." I finished and everyone just stared at me.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Lyla asked herself more than the group.

"Because you're not perfect," I looked at Merle "nobody is." His eyes met mine for a minute before they went back to glare at the floor, he still hated me. "So are we going to clear out the buildings with the showers and kitchen or what?" I asked the group and everyone but Merle chimed their "I'm in's".

"Well so we want to do this today or tomorrow we still have plenty of daylight left." Lyla asked and everyone said they wanted to do it today. So we gathered up our weapons, except for Greta who volunteered to stay and watch Cammy, and headed out of a door we hadn't been through yet that led to a octagon shaped concrete area that was surrounded by buildings like the one we had been staying in. There was a good bit of walkers in this area so we got into formation and took them all down.

There was a building set it the center of the octagon that we guessed to be the showers. We guessed right the door was unlocked and the building was fairly unpopulated my walkers. Daryl and Merle took down the few that were in the shower building and we left in search of the building that we thought might contain the kitchen. There was a building directly across the octagon from our building that was wider than the rest of the building so I suggested that one. Lyla unlocked the door and we walked into a long wide hallway with doors dotting the walls. We could see walkers in the rooms as we passed the doors on our way down the hallway. A female geek in an apron walked out of double swinging doors at the end of the hall and I knew I picked the right building. Daryl shot the walker in the head with his cross bow and she fell to the ground. We continued forward getting closer and closer to the kitchen. We were relieved when Daryl peeked through the doors and held up eight fingers. I was assuming that it would take way more people than that to cook for this many prisoners, then again prison food was probably crappy and ill prepared.

Daryl whistled to call the walkers to us instead of blooding up the kitchen any more than it probably already was and I mouthed a thank you to him. He nodded his head before putting a knife through the eye of the first walkers to come through the doors. That alerted the others to our presence and they quickly fled into the thankfully large hallway. I killed two of the walkers as the rest of the group killed the rest.

We made our way to the kitchen to look through cupboards and cabinets. Merle found the pantry that contained more powdered eggs and many other canned goods. I smiled and high fived Leon and Lyla. George looked relieved and I smiled at him as well. We back tracked our path to our cell block making sure there were no hidden walkers that could pop out and cause trouble. We killed two that were hidden behind the shower building then went back into our building.

Greta ran and hugged George when we came in. "How is she?" Lyla asked her when she stopped hugging her husband.

"Well she doesn't seam as angry as before, but I still wouldn't let her out of there. She still blames you for her sister's death." She reported and Lyla nodded her head. We all went to the picnic tables and sat down. We were talking and laughing, everyone was the happiest I had seen them since the world went to hell. After everyone ran out of things to talk about Daryl and Merle suggested that she sing them all a song. She asked me to sing with her like we used to when we were kids, but I wasn't in the mood. Things were still unsettled with Merle and I could feel the tension between us in the room so I decided to head to my bunk for the rest of the day. I could feel someone's eyes on me as I went to my cell which was unfortunately not very far from the group. Lyla's voice was flooding into my cell eventually I couldn't take it any more so I grabbed my sketch book and pencil out of my bag and went out into the yard I could feel eyes on me the whole way. I sat down in a chair that someone had brought out there and I started to draw without thinking about what I was drawing. This was my way of relaxing and getting thinks off my chest. Some people run some box some, like Lyla, even cut themselves, but not me. Drawing was my way of venting.

All to soon the sun started to set and I stopped drawing not being able to see anymore. I just kept sitting there I tilted my head up to look that the stars, they were exceptionally bright now that the lights of the city buildings and factories and plants had been shut off. I heard the door of the building open and shut, I just kept looking up not really caring who it was. If it was Merle I would apologize straight up, if not then oh well. "Walkers get more active at night ya know." The voice surprised me and I looked up to see Daryl standing near the closed door. What did he want? "Mind if I join ya?" he asked and I shook my head. "No ya don't mind or no I can't join ya?" he asked a little amused at my muteness.

"No I don't mind." I spoke. And he grabbed a chair that was leaning up against the side of the building. She placed it so that he would be sitting across from me.

"So what's goin on in that noggin of yers?" he asked and I just stared at him. "Look yer sister is worried about ya she said yer not actin like yerself, and Merle said ya yelled at him."

"Not to be rude, but why do you care?" I asked.

"Because I care about yer sister and she cares about ya. Ya don't have to talk to me if ya don't want to; I just figured it would be best if ya talked to someone who didn't really know ya. Kinda like and uninvolved third party er somethin." I stared at him considering what he said. "Mind if I see what you were drawing?" he asked and I handed him the drawing pad. He studied it in the moonlight. He smiled and handed it back to me.

"Ok, fine ill talk to you, but if you tell my sister or your brother what I'm about to say ill make sure you pay for it got me?" he nodded and made and invisible x over his heart. "I think I like your brother." I admitted with a frown.

"That's a bad thing?" his face was completely non judgmental.

"It wouldn't be under any other circumstances, but I can't let myself have feelings for someone, not when the world is filled with flesh eating ex-humans." He thought about it nodding his head. "Don't get me wrong I admire you and Lyla, but I can't put my heart out there to be broken. Sooner or later one of us is going to die." He shook his head at that.

"Wont be em, nothing can kill a Dixon but a Dixon and I ain't gonna kill em." He stated simply. How was that supposed to help me? "Look all I can tell ya is that ya can't fight yer feelin's I tried and look where I am now, hopelessly in love with yer sister." I just stared at him. "Look we aren't goin to get many chances in this new life to be happy so if you find something or _someone_ that makes us happy why not jump on the chance? Why not have a little fun? If your heart gets broken it will heal that is part of _living._" he stood up handed me a knife and walked beck to the door. He turned back to face me before the opened it "Just think bout it kay?" he asked and I nodded my head in the dim moon light. I picked up the drawing pad really looking at my work for the first time. My mouth fell open when I realized what I had created on the paper. It was Merle's face, plain as day on the paper. "Crap…" I groaned to myself.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Violet's Pov-**

I lay on the bunk of my cell fiddling with the knife Daryl had handed me outside. I finally went inside after all the chattering and singing died down. Everyone had already gone to their cells but Merle. He didn't seam to pay attention when I went to my cell. Leon was sound asleep and didn't even hear me lay down. Sleep didn't find me easily and when it finally caught up to me it was filled with one horrible nightmare after another. I couldn't wake up and no one woke me up I suffered through the dreams until I felt something grip my shoulder. I sat straight up the bed and was shocked at the pain that struck my forehead and radiated through my skull.

"Holy shit, what the fuck!" Merle snapped holding the side of his head. "Told em this was a bad idea." He mumbled under his breath. I stood up slipping on my shoes.

"Sorry… are you ok?" I asked quietly looking at his hand that cover where I hit him.

"Think so, man you got a hard head." He rubbed the spot before he dropped his hand. I caught myself checking him out again. He had showered, his hair was now a clean sandy blond, his dirty leather jacket was gone and he was wearing I clean white wife beater under an unbuttoned gray shirt he still wore his leather bracelet. He cleared his throat uncomfortable under my gaze and I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor to hide the blush I could feel rising to my cheeks.

"Sorry."

"Ya said that already."

"I know." I walked around him and out of the cell doorway. "So where is everyone?"

"They are all outside. It's a nice day not to hot and not to cold. Daryl and Lyla sent me in here to wake ya up and get ya out there." He said and headed to the door. I followed him and joined the rest of the group at the far end of the small yard. I walked over to the empty chair that was next to Lyla and sat down.

"Hey there sleepyhead" she smiled at me and I found myself smiling back and joining in in the conversations. The sun was straight up in the sky when I broke away from the group.

"Hey I think I'm going to head to the showers." I said getting up from my spot in the group.

"You know where the supplies are at and I added some clean towels in there to." Lyla said and I nodded, walked through the door and to the supply room. I grabbed soap, shampoo, wash rag and a towel, then headed to my cell and set the things on my bunk. I emptied a pull string back pack I had been hanging on to and placed the supplies into it and added some on the clean clothes Lyla had grabbed from my apartment. I slung the bag over my shoulder and was walking out of my cell when I almost ran into Greta.

"Lyla sent me after ya to keep watch outside the bathrooms while ya showered." She said out of breath from running to ketch up with me. I told her ok and we walked to the shower rooms. The water was cold so I didn't bother taking my time and savoring the fact that this was the first shower I had had in about a week and a half. I took mini baths when we were at the library and it was enough to keep me from stinking to bad.

I turned off the water and hung the wash rag on the shower head to dry. I dried myself off with the white towel I grabbed them wrapped my hair in it. I then slid into my pink and green string bikini panties and matching pink and green C cup bra. I was always jealous of how "blessed" my sister had been but she always insisted that they came with more troubles than benefits. I just think she is trying to make me feel better, but oh well I was growing to like my medium sized boobs. I pulled on a pink tank top and holy jeans, slipped on my dirty brown boots and headed out of the shower room to find Greta fiddling with a knife. "Well you look like ya feel a little better. I know I did after my shower." She said smiling at me.

"I do feel better." I said smiling at her. "Hey can you help me with something?"

"Sure, what do you need help with?"

"I want to make Merle a cake to tell him I'm sorry for yelling at him, but I don't really know how to bake that well and I don't want to be in the kitchen alone. Never know what might happen ya know?" I said and she nodded her head thinking about it. "So will you help me?" I asked again and she smiled at me.

"Sure, ill help you…if I you can promise me a piece of the cake." She said and I laughed and nodded. "Good, Lyla and I already cleaned the kitchen this morning while everyone else was still asleep." She said and smiled at me.

"Oh and I kind of wanted to keep it a secret from everyone else, never know who will have a big mouth and ruin the surprise before the cake is done. And I'm assuming that the oven works since you said you will help me?" I asked and she nodded her head.

We walked to the supplies closet to get the cake mix and I realized that we had three different kinds, leave it to Lyla. "I don't know what kind he would like better chocolate, butter, or red velvet. I don't want to make the cake and him hate it, what do I do?" I looked at the woman worried.

"Think we can trust Daryl to not say anything?" she asked and I nodded my head. "Ok then go get him and bring him in here." She said and I complied. I walked through the main room, out the door to the yard and walked to stand between Daryl and Merle.

"Hey Daryl can I talk to ya inside for a minute?" I asked. He nodded his head and stood up.

"Is everythin ok?" he asked as we walked.

"Yeah just need to ask ya something." I said as we opened the door and walked inside. He followed me to the supply closed without question. We walked in and Greta was holding the cake mixes. "I want to make your brother an apology cake, but I don't know what flavor he would like or if he even likes cake." The words flew out of my mouth in a rush and he looked kind of amused.

"He loves cake. Our aunt made a cake one time and he ate practically the whole thing made emself sick." He laughed at the memory.

"Well do you know which flavor he would like best? We have chocolate, butter, and red velvet." I said and I could see the wheels spinning in his head.

"Well he will probably like any of them, but I think he really likes tha red one." He said pointing at the box of red velvet cake mix. I smiled and almost clapped my hands before I realized I must look like a silly school girl. He chuckled and was about to walk form the room.

"Hey Daryl, don't mention it?" I asked and he nodded his head and walked out.

"Well that was easy." Greta laughed. We gather the ingredients that were listed on the box and went to the kitchen. Greta pulled out two cake pans from a cabinet and set them on the counter then grabbed a bowl out of a different cabinet and set it next to the pans. After that we got busy.

It took us a good while, but the cake was completely finished and sitting all pretty on a metal pizza pan. Greta said it turned out flat because we had to use powdered eggs, but it looked ok to me. "Now how do I go about giving it to him? What do I say, here I'm sorry have a cake?" I asked and Greta just looked at me.

"You have never had a boyfriend have you?" she asked eyeing me. I blushed and shook my head.

"No, and I'm still not sure I want one now. Used to I wouldn't date because I didn't want them to think they could date me just to get into my pants. Now I don't want to date because I don't want him to get into my heart." She looked sad and shook her head.

"Sweetie, if your heart tells you to get to know him then do it. It's when you don't follow your hear that bad things happen."

I shook my head and hopped up on the counter and leaned my head against the wall. "Ugh" I groaned. "I'm just so confused. My head and my heart are fighting so much till I don't know what is saying what."

"Ok ill tell you what you should do. Close your eyes take a deep breath and clear your mind. That should calm you, and when you feel calm don't think just feel. Your feelings will tell you what is right. Ill leave you, ill be right out side come and get me when you have figured it out and don't rush." She walked out of the door and left me alone.

I did what she said and tried to clear my mind best I could and she was right I did feel calm. I didn't think I just felt. Flashes of the hurt in Merles eyes and how hurt that made me fell, the longing I had to touch his firm muscles and the desire to press my lips to his fled through me. My eyes shot open and I knew what to say and do. I went to the door and opened it up, Greta stepped into the room. "What did ya decide to do?" she asked curiously.

"To give in to my feelings and go for it." I said with a small smile and she smile back. "I thought I would bring him in here and give him the cake…in private." I added and she smiled at me knowingly. Greta got a big metal bowl and put it over the top of the cake before we left.

We walked into the main building and everyone was sitting at what was becoming the group's picnic table. I walked to the end where Merle sat at the end of one bench and Greta sat down on the end of the other bench. "So what have you to been up to? Daryl wouldn't tell us anything." George asked.

"You will see eventually." Greta responded smiling at him and the rest of the group.

"Uh Merle will you do me a favor?" I asked.

"I don't know am I gonna get yelled at again?" he asked with a glare and I looked at the floor ashamed.

"No." I answered quietly.

"Ok then sure. What do ya want?" he still sounded harsh and I was beginning to wonder if he was even going to forgive me.

"Uh will you come with me?" I asked and he looked a little confused.

"Go with you where?"

"I don't want to tell you." I said quietly.

"Well if ya can't tell me where we are goin then I'm not goin." He said crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly and my heart sank.

"Merle, will you just go with her please?" Greta jumped in and I was thankful that she had my back. "She's not going to kill you I promise." She said with a smile.

"Fine." He said looking defeated and I caught myself smiling. He got up and we walked outside. "Still not sure yer not goin to try and kill me." She said as we walked across the octagon area. I just shook my head and walked to the building with the kitchen. I could almost feel the air around us relax when we stepped into the building.

I walked around the island bar in the room and pushed the covered cake toward him where he stood next to me. "What is under there a walker head?" he asked and I sighed.

"Does it smell like a walker in here?" I asked and he shook his head. I lifted the cover bowel off of the cake and the smell of warm cake filled the room. "Wow what's this?" he asked raking his finger across the icing. He licked the icing off of his finger and I laughed.

"It's an apology cake." I said and he looked at me, finally, without glaring at me. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean it and I feel terrible about it." He just grunted and raked more icing off of the cake. "So…do you accept my apology?" I asked.

"Depends, are you gonna tell me what ya were thinkin bout?" he asked confusing me. "Before ya yelled at me, ya said you were thinkin bout somethin."

"Oh."

"I'm waitin."

"Are you sure you want to know what I was thinkin about?" I asked causing him to look at me suspiciously.

"I don't know, do I?"

"I don't know do you?" I asked again laughing at him.

"Uh sure, I guess I want to know." He said looking at me with those amazing blue eyes.

"I was thinking about…you." I said suddenly nervous, looking at the floor to hide the blush that was forming on my cheeks.

"Me?" he looked confused. "Why were ya thinkin bout me?" he asked and I shrugged. "Ok better question, what were ya thinkin bout me?" he asked turning to stand in front of me. I couldn't talk or take my eyes off of the floor. When I was quiet for to long he moved closer and put his finger under my chin making me look at him. His face was inches from mine and I could feel his breath against my chin when he spoke. "Well, what were ya thinkin?" he asked again. I didn't answer his question with words. Without even really thinking about it I pressed my lips to his passionately. A second later he was kissing me back just as passionately.

All too soon the kiss ended, our foreheads were pressed together and I was breathing heard. "So that's what ya were thinkin bout huh?" he asked with a hint of cockiness in his voice. I laughed and nodded before I rested my hands on his neck and he kissed me again. Our hands started roaming over each other, the kiss deepened and my hand slid over his rock solid chest and down his abs and around his waist. A moan escaped my lips when his lips moved to my neck.

"Leave a hickey on my neck and I _will _kill you." I laughed and he pulled away to look at me. "What? I was just kidding." I said innocently.

"I know, I just always thought girls liked getting hickeys." He said and I shook my head.

"Some might, but I just think they're the tacky mark of a whore, which is something I am not." I said and he backed away from me to lean on the island bar.

"I didn't say ya were a whore." He said simply.

"I didn't say you did. I just want you to know that if we do this, whatever this is, that I only want ya to do it with me." He nodded and pushed off the bar and took the few steps to be back in front of me.

"No hickeys, only you, got it." He said with a nod before he kissed me again my hands had just slid back around his neck when the door of the kitchen was flung open with a bang. Merle spun around with his knife ready just to sheath it when he saw an angry Leon standing in the doorway.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing with my sister?" he asked angrily and I hopped down off the cabinet to stand in front of Merle.

"What are you doing in here?" I ignored his question.

"Greta finally spilled it about you liking Merle." He said with a sneer.

"And you came to what, defend my innocence?" I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Ha we both know that ship sailed when you went for a tumble in the bed of Adam's truck."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, you know that son of a bitch lied about that."

"Then why did you all of a sudden get the reputation of town slut after that?"

"You know why." I said as I walked around the island bar to stand in front of him.

"Yeah, because you really are a whore if you will sleep with someone whose probably twice yer age." If my face wasn't blood shot then it sure felt like it was and before I know it my brother was clutching his nose and blood was all over the floor.

"Hmm yer sister would have just used a taser, but a fist works to." Merle said still standing behind the island. He grabbed the cake and I grabbed the plates and forks that Greta had laid out and we left the kitchen leaving Leon to tend to his bloody and probably broken nose by himself.

Everyone freaked when we brought the cake and forks into the cell block. Merle didn't even bother putting him a piece of cake on a plate. After everyone had gotten a piece he grabbed a fork and started eating it straight off the pizza pan. "What?" he asked when everyone was staring at him. "It's my cake; I can eat it how I want." He said and everyone laughed. Leon walked in as everyone was finishing up their cake and went straight to his cell. We all ignored him and went back to talking and laughing. Daryl suggested Lyla sing a song and she said she would only ding if I sang to. I wasn't sure about it but agreed. After a long debate on what we should sing we finally settled on Country Strong.

Every one clapped when we were done singing and everyone realized the sun was starting to set. Everyone started heading to their bunks in pairs. Greta and George were the first, then Daryl and Lyla. Cammy was still locked in her cell and Leon had been asleep for a while. That left me and Merle in the main room with a little candle on the table for light. I was contemplating just finding a new cell to sleep in because I really didn't feel like sleeping in the same room with Leon. I guess Merle could see me debating. "Ya could just sleep in my cell ya know." He said and I thought about it. It wouldn't be like I was sleeping in his bed or anything, I could sleep on the top bunk, that's all it took to convince myself.

"Yeah sounds good to me, ill be right back." I went into Leon's cell and grabbed all of my stuff.

"What are ya doin?" Leon asked from the top bunk and I jumped. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was you woke me up with all that racket yer makin."

"Well it ain't any of your business where I'm going I'm a whore remember?" I said and left the cell and made a u turn into Merles cell. Merle followed me into his cell and I dropped my things into the corner. "So uh goodnight." I said awkwardly. And turned to climb onto the top bunk but he caught me around the waist pulling me to him he kissed my cheek and then my ear.

"Goodnight." He whispered then kissed my ear again before letting me go. I climbed up and laid down covering up with the blanket Lyla had given me. I heard him lay down on his bunk before he blew out the candle causing it to get pitch black. I had never really liked sleeping on the top bunk, wasn't really friendly with heights so sleep wasn't coming easily. I kept tossing and turning and I let out an aggravated breath. "Ya ok up there?" I heard him ask quietly from below me.

"Yeah just can't sleep this far off of the ground." I didn't realize at that time that what I said might bring on his next suggestion.

"Ya could always join me down here. I won't bite." He added the last bit playfully and I smirked to myself. I thought about it for a minute before I stumbled down off the bed in the darkness. I grabbed my blanket off of the top bunk and felt around for the bottom one.

"Ok I can't see a damn thing here." I said and his hand instantly found mine as it searched for the bed. He pulled me a little and my legs touched the bed frame and I sat down. He moved his hand to my shoulder and guided my body down onto the bed beside him and I brought my legs up to join the rest of my body. "Ya don't have a blanket?" I asked.

"Na wasn't enough for everyone to have one." He said simply so I threw mine over both of us.

"Well ya do now." I said. He was lying on his side with his back against the wall and my back was to him. He had his hand tucked under his head and his elbow was sticking out so I just used it as a pillow. "Goodnight." I said again and he said it back before sleep finally over came me.

**A/N:** A BIG thank you to everyone for reading my story, i really appreciate the reviews follows and favorites :-)


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Merles Pov-**

I woke up to find Violet and I had meshed together during our sleep. She had her back pressed firmly against me and my arm was around her waist holding her there. Her head was resting on the remainder of my arm that wasn't tucked under my head. I the sweet smell of her hair filled my nose and the warmth of her body felt nice against mine. She was such a dramatic change from the other girls I had shared a bed with before. The main difference was that when I shared my bed with a woman in the past we never slept and after we were done I kicked her out. The women were never the same person but were always the same type crack whores just wanting their nest hit. I had paid for it to. I had to take sooo many antibiotics to get rid of the shit they had given me. But this woman was different, sure she was half my age, but there was something about her that brought out the nice side of me. Which was something I had made fun of Daryl for in the past, I always told him being nice was for pansy asses.

Violet stirred next to me causing her ass to press harder against me. I let out a breath at how good it felt and she moved again this time she moved away from me. She almost rolled off of the small bed but I kept my arm around her waist and pulled her back to me. She made a sound and woke from the sudden movement. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Ya almost fell off of the bed, I caught you."

"Thank you." She said turning over to face me. She smiled at me and I automatically smiled back. "You know that's the first night of nightmare free sleep I've had since this whole zombie invasion?" she said.

"That's because ole Merle scared them away." I said and smirked at her before I kissed her on the forehead. She kissed me on the cheek in return then pressed her face into my bare chest and mumbled something. "Hmm?"

"Oh I was talking to myself." She said pulling away.

"Bout?" I pressed and she sighed.

"How I really don't want to face my brother this morning. He was really mean yesterday." I nodded my head.

"But you got him back for that."

"Yeah, its not the first time I've punched him, probably wont be the last."

"So what was he talkin bout?" I asked curiously and her eyes darkened. "Ya don't have to tell me if ya don't want to." I reassured her.

"No ill tell you. My senior year in high school I was dating this guy Adam. He seamed nice at first but about two weeks after we started dating I went to the beach with him and his friends and their girl friends. All of the other couples went to find private places on the beach and left me and Adam sitting in the bed of his truck. Keep in mind that he was the first guy I had dated since junior high. I was fine with makin out with him but I didn't want go any farther. He kept grabbing my ass and I kept pushing his hand away. He wouldn't stop and it was pissing me off so I pushed him away. He called me a tease and after I called him a jerk he called me a prude to I kicked him in his balls and locked myself in the truck the rest of the night. When I got back to school on Monday, he had spread it through the school that I slept with not only him but all the guys that were there that night. After that I was known as the town slut." When she finished her story she buried he face in my chest again and I could feel warm tears against my skin.

"Well yer not a slut and he is probably dead now." I said trying to reassure her rubbing her back. She pulled away and looked at me so I wiped her tears away.

"You're probably right, and the memory was dead to until he resurrected it like one of those stupid walkers. You know something else he said is kind of sticking out in my head to." She said studying my face.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Uh, how old are you exactly?" she asked. "Not that It really matters to me, but id just like to know." I was kinda hesitant to answer her question. What if she changed her mind when she found out exactly how much older than her I was. I cleared my throat.

"Uherm I'm uh…45." I answered looking at the bed. She laughed and I looked at her. "What?" I almost growled.

"Sorry I didn't mean to laugh its just that wasn't my first guess." She said resting her hand on my side sending a tingling sensation through my body.

"What was yer first guess?" I asked.

"Thirty eight?" it was more of a question then an answer. "What? You don't look like you would be in your forties to me." She blushed and looked down at her hand on my side under the blanket. I laughed and kissed her hair causing her to look up at me. "So you don't care that I'm literally half your age?"

"Nope as long as ya don't mind being with an old man." I answered and she laughed.

"You're not an old man." She said before she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss deepened and she rolled over pulling me to lean over her. I had no idea why she wanted to be with me, but at that moment I didn't care. I moved to her neck and was rewarded with a low moan from her. I nibbled and she sucked in a breath through her teeth causing a hissing sound to feel the air. I moved lower to the hallow of her neck and I felt her lace her fingers into my short hair. I tried to move lower but she pulled my head up.

"What?" I asked.

"Uh, Merle we can't do this here." She answered with an uncomfortable look on her face. "Everyone will hear." She explained. So I flopped back down on the bed beside her. "

"Plus I… I've kinda never done this before." She admitted with a blush.

"Ya have never had sex before?" I asked hoping I had heard her wrong.

"No. I kinda gave up on guys after the whole Adam thing." She admitted and I groaned without realizing it. "Great now you probably think I'm a prude to." She said burying her face in the mattress.

"I didn't say that. Its just I've never been with a virgin before." I said and she looked at me.

"So you don't think I'm a prude?" she asked and I shook my head.

"Coarse not." I said and kissed her hair again. She hugged me tight burying her face in my chest again and I could feel her kiss my chest. I could hear a couple of people up and about in the main room. "Think it's time to get up." I said into her hair and she pulled away rolled off the bed and slipped on her boots. I hadn't noticed until that moment that her tank top had shifted to reveal a bra that barley held in her breasts. I noted that she wore pink a lot and her bra matched her shirt. She caught me staring and adjusted her shirt to cover her.

"You going to get up or what?" she asked breaking the silence and tossing my shirt to me. I got up and put it on.

"Oh I never thanked ya for tha cake, it was really good." I slipped on my shoes. "Daryl tell ya red velvet was my favorite?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No he said he thought you like the red one." She laughed. "I didn't know it was your favorite."

"Well it is just so ya know." I said looking at her. "What's yer favorite cake?" I asked.

"Hmm coconut maybe? I don't really have a favorite cake. I have a favorite pie though, chocolate." She said and smiled at me before she walked out of the cell and into the main room. I followed her to see Daryl and Lyla sitting at the table. Lyla spun around on the bench and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well well what do we have here?" she asked smiling at us and I could see Violet blush out of the corner of my eye. "Vi can I talk to you outside for a minute?" she asked and Violet nodded and followed her sister outside. I sat down on the bench across from my brother. It was quiet for a minute before he spoke.

"So ya and Violet huh?" he asked with a smirk.

"Shut up." I said giving him a pointed look that he ignored.

"What? I was just askin." He said and I didn't respond. "Well."

"Well what?" I asked.

"Did ya get any?" he asked surprising me and I resisted the urge to punch him.

"Don't talk about her like that. He brother is already accusin her of being a slut for even sleepin in the same room with me." He raised his eyebrows.

"Wow so you really do like her to." He observed and I nodded. "I really don't like that guy."

"I don't either little brother but he's the brother of our women, what can we do?"

"Yeah we can't just beat his face in like we would any other prick like him."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know but guess what."

"What?"

"You totally called Violet yer woman."

"Shut up." I said glaring at him.

**~meanwhile in the prison yard~**

**Violets Pov-**

"Ok just so ya know I have no problem with you being with Merle, but ya need to know the man can have a temper sometimes and he does drugs or he used to I don't think he still does." Lyla told me.

"I know he told me that. He told me about the drugs and that he tends to have a temper. I know and I don't care." I told her with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Mkay just want to make sure ya know what you're getting into." I nodded my head. "He's also a lot older than you ya know." She said eyeing me.

"I know we talked about that this morning and neither of us care." She nodded her head and smiled.

"So…" she kept on smiling at me.

"So what?" I asked confused.

"So did ya…do it last night, I saw you in bed with him this morning." She asked making me blush.

"Ugh should have known you were going to ask." She laughed. "No we didn't do anything. It scares me to even think about it."

"Scares ya? Why?" she asked with a concerned look.

"Because I'm a virgin." I said looking at the ground and her mouth fell open. "Look just because everyone said I was a slut didn't mean I really was." I said getting defensive. Even my own sister thought I was a slut.

"No I didn't say yer a slut. I just thought ya would have had sex by now."

"Well I haven't and I'm scared that I'm not going to do it right or something."

"Vi, there's no right and wrong way to have sex, just do what yer body tells you to and ya will be ok." She was trying to make me fell better but she was just grossing me out.

"Ok Lyla gross. I'm scared but I think I can figure it out myself." I said and she laughed.

"Ok I won't give ya advice, but at least let me give ya some condoms, because something tells me Merle doesn't have any and the last thing we need around here is a baby."

"Once again, gross. But thanks." I answered and she laughed.

"So who broke Leon's nose?" she asked with a smirk.

"I did. He was being a total ass and called me a whore when he caught me kissing Merle." She laughed.

"Well our brother is known for being an ass hole." She said still smiling. "Merle tell ya I tased him?" she asked with a smile and I laughed.

"Yeah he got a little mad when I laughed. When did you become such a badass?" I asked and she walked to sit in one of the chairs.

"Well, if ya remember I wasn't exactly domesticated before I married Kayde." She said taking a deep breath. "I guess it happened when the world went to shit and I had to rely on myself alone." She said and I nodded my head. "Well let's get back inside and see what we can find to cook for breakfast." She said and got up from the chair.

We entered the building to find Merle and Daryl arm wrestling across the table. Leon, George and Greta were standing around watching and Lyla and I joined in. she was rooting for Daryl and I found myself rooting for Merle along with Greta. We clapped and cheered when Merle finally slammed Daryl's arm onto the table. I stuck my tongue out at Lyla who was pouting and she stuck her back out at me before she laughed. "Hey Greta, Vi and I were headed to the kitchen, wanna come?" she asked and the woman nodded her head. Lyla ran up to her and Daryl's cell and came back down. She stuck something in my pocket and I reached in and felt three condoms. She laughed at the face I made.

We stopped at the supply cell on the way and grabbed pancake mix, and syrup. When we got to the kitchen I mixed up enough batter for each of us two pan cakes and Lyla cooked them while Greta sat on a stool at the bar. "So what are we going to do about Cammy?" Greta asked. "She seams to be back to her normal self from what I can tell. The true test would be letting her talk to you Lyla."

"I'll talk to her when we get back, offer her some food again. She hasn't eaten anything since we got here and she has to be getting weak by now." Lyla said.

"Do I need to mix up more batter or do we have enough?" I asked Lyla and she said that we would have enough so I hopped up onto the bar. "Let me know if you want me to take over cooking." I said and Lyla laughed.

"We both know what happened last time I let you cook." And I laughed.

"What happened lat time you let her cook?" Greta asked and Lyla told her to story of when I tried to cook scrambled eggs when we were kids and I burned them so bad that they were not even eatable and we had to throw the skillet away because we couldn't get the eggs out of the pan. It took hours to get the smell and smoke out of the house. Needless to say I wasn't the best cook in the world back then, but I had had lots of practice over the years.

We all laughed at the story and it was quiet for a while before Lyla spoke again. "So Vi, Merle told me he likes Native American women, has he said anything to you about that?" she asked and I shook my head. "Well he does. I know Daryl said he loves my hair, Merle probably does to. Can I fix it for you before we bring them the food?" I thought about it for a second and then nodded my head. I used to love it when she would fix my hair for me before I went to school.

She finished up cooking the pancakes and left to get her brush and pony tail holders. "So what did he say when you gave him tha cake?" Greta asked me. I laughed before I answered and she smiled.

"He asked me if there was a walker head under the bowl?" and she laughed.

"Bet you feel better now don't you?" and I thought about it.

"Ironically I'm happier now than I have been in years. How is it that we can be so happy when the world and everyone we have ever known is probably dead?" I asked.

"Well sometimes it takes a disaster for a good thing to happen. Just kinda happened to take the world ending for you and your sister to find yer soul mates." That made me laugh.

"I don't know if Merle and I are soul mates, I hardly know the guy really." She smiled.

"Ya'll are, I can tell by the way you to look at each other. It's the same way your sister and Daryl look at each other and probably the same way I look at George." I nodded my head before Lyla walked in happily holding a brush with ponytail holders wrapped around the handle. In no time she had all the tangles brushed out of my hair and had braided my hair to look like I had on a braided head band. The rest of my hair was long and flowing down my back held up a shiny metal plate from the kitchen and examined my hair. It was beautiful an I hugged my sister.

"Thank you, I think Merle will like this way better than my usual pony tail."

"Oh hang on I have an idea." Greta hurried outside. She came back in with a yellow flower that had been growing along the fence line. She stuck it in my hair near my ear and smiled in triumph. "Ok lets go see what he thinks and get these pancakes to our men I bet their Hungary." She said still smiling.

We walked into the building and set the plate of pancakes down in the middle of the table. Merle couldn't take his eyes off of me. He watched me the whole time I passed out the plates and forks. I sat down on the end of the bench next to him and he placed his hand on my knee under the table and smirked at me before finally realizing what had been set on the table he everyone got their pancakes and added syrup. Everyone was to buy stuffing their faces to talk. When we were finally done Lyla grabbed the extra pancakes and put syrup on them. "I'm gonna go see if I can get Cammy to eat something." She said getting up from the table walked to the cell the girl was in. Daryl and Merle followed her just in case she needed them for something.

I noticed Leon glaring at me from the other end of the of the table. "Can I talk to you outside?" I asked and he nodded. We walked outside into the yard. "Why have you been acting like such a jack ass?" I asked straight out.

"You really don't know why?" he asked glaring at me.

"No, so tell me." I demanded.

"Because that man wants nothing more from you than to get in your pants." He said.

"You don't even know him."

"No, but the second he saw you I could see it in his eyes. He is a predator Violet. It is written all over his face."

"He is not! You need to get your fuckin eyes checked because the only thing written all over his face is grief."

"Yeah put there from taking advantage of young women."

"You are nothing but a judgmental son of a bitch. Why can't you just stop and look at what makes me happy? Why can't you just support my decisions for once? I have made pretty damn good choices for myself up until now haven't I?" He just stared at me. "_Haven't I?_" I asked angrily.

"Yeah." He answered hesitantly.

"Then trust this decision to. Do you think that if he was a pedophile or something that Lyla would even let him near me?" He seamed to think about it but didn't answer me. "Well?" he still didn't speak. "Answer me Damn it!" he jerked his head up at my outburst.

"No I don't guess she would, but Violet he is like twice your age." He was still fighting me.

"Yeah exactly twice my age actually. So?"

"Violet, that's gross." That made me laugh.

"No its not. Grandma was 15 when she married grandpa when he was 23." He shook his head.

"That's different."

"Ok Hugh Hefner was 83 and he married a 26 year old woman." I said and he thought about it.

"Ok I guess your right, but I still don't like it." He said defeated.

"Well can you be a little less douche baggish about it?" I asked and he laughed at my insult.

"Baggish isn't a word." I sneered at him. "Ok fine ill stop being a jerk."

"Thank you." I said turning and going inside Leon followed. Cammy was sitting at one of the tables eating her food. "Good to see you out and about." I said hoping she wouldn't bite my head off like the last time I had tried to be nice to her.

"Good to be out." She said simply.

**A/N:** Sorry if this chapter was a little boring.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Ok the Pov in this chapter switches more often than normal sorry if you dont like that...

**Chapter 22**

**Talitha's Pov-**

Cammy had apologized the second she saw me at the door of her cell with food in my hands. She had rambled on and on crying about how she knew it wasn't my fault that her sister had been bitten and that she was sorry for all the bleaching she had done in the prison and that she cleans when she is upset and she guess it just got a little out of control. She wouldn't shut up so I finally unlocked the cell to hand her the food seeing as it wouldn't fit under the door. She came out with strength that I didn't know a starving girl could possess.

She threw herself into Daryl her arms wrapped around his waist. His arms automatically flew out to the side indicating that he wasn't willingly touching her. I smiled at him but sneered at her. I knew exactly what she was trying to do and I grasped the neck of her shirt, some of her hair getting caught in the grip, and gave her a good yank. She yelped as she was slung back from him giving me as glare as I pressed her against the wall next to the cell. "Ya will keep yer hands off of him and everyone else, ya hear?" I growled in her face and she winced before she nodded. I was contemplating slinging her back into the cell to starve when I felt the hand on my shoulder. I glanced back to see Daryl looking at me with his usual blank expression. Only I could see the message written in his steel blue eyes 'don't'. I released her and pointed to a random table. "Sit, and stay there or ya will regret it." I said harshly meaning what I had said. Daryl guided me to the side out of earshot. "Why are ya defending her?" Nothing but sympathy was written across his face not that I was the only one to see it.

"I know what its like to be locked up and starved against yer will, it sucks."

"She wasn't starved against her will, she chose not to eat." I defended.

"But still, her will was lost in the grief." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Bitch tried to kill me then threw herself at cha tha first chance she got." I defended my reaction to her arms wrapped around his body once again knowing it had been nothing but jealousy that caused me to push her against the wall. "Sure yer not just defending her cause she's prettier than me?" I asked and he folded his arms across his chest and arched his brow.

"Never had a thing for dumb blonds."

"Fine she can stay out of her cell from now on, but she has to have someone with her at all times." I said and he nodded his face faded back to his normal blank expression. We walked back to the table where Cammy sat, the group surrounding her, as Vi and Leon walked in from outside.

"Good to see you out and about." Vi smiled at her.

"Good to be out." Cammy replied somewhat sarcastically with a smirk. Violet walked over to where merle was standing and smirked at him and he returned it. I smiled at the new couple hoping it really would work out between the two. Vi could have a temper just as easily as Merle could. Everyone eventually dispersed to do odd jobs that I had assigned. I assigned Merle and Daryl hunting duty, Leon and George were in charge of finding out if there were any sort of back up generator for the place, and Vi and Greta were sent to the supply closet to wash what laundry has accumulated.

"So what are we going to do? I can't stand to just sit around here anymore." She said and I just shrugged. "We could walk the fence; make sure too many zombies haven't gathered at the fence." That got a snort out of me.

"What so that ya will have a weapon to try and kill me with again?" she shook her head looking at the floor.

"I won't try to kill you; I told you I was sorry about that."

"Sorry doesn't quite mean as much in this world as it did in the other one. I'm sorry every time I kill one of those things, but it doesn't keep me from doing it again." She just stared at me then at the floor. We sat there like that for what felt like for ever, her sitting on top of the table like she owned the damn thing and me leaning on the edge of the table next to it never loosening the grip a had on my knife. She finally spoke disturbing the silence.

"Do promises mean anything to you? Because I promise that I won't try to kill you again." She pulled yet another snort from me.

"I think promises mean a lot if you trust the person; ya can't blame me for not trusting ya." About that time the door at the other end of the hall opened at I saw her face brighten in a big smile before I turned to see who came in. Daryl and Merle walked in Daryl's eyes locked on mine and smiled in triumph before his eyes went to Cammy and he frowned. I looked at the girl who was looking at Daryl like he was a chocolate bar that she couldn't wait to devour. "And ya can trust me when I say that if ya lay another hand on Daryl ill personally cut it off." She looked at me her smile fading.

"Hey ladies, everything ok here?" Daryl asked me and I smiled at him.

"Yeah we were just having a chat. How many didcha get?" I asked grabbing his waist and turning him counting the squirrels out loud as I did. "Six, sweet, been dieing for some meat that don't out of a can. Let's go skin them." I said pushing myself off of the table and walking to the door that led to the yard Cammy stared to follow. "Where ya think yer goin?" I asked her.

"To help skin the squirrels." She answered simply.

"Nu uh, yer stayin in here, Merle ya got her?" I asked turning to Merle and he gave a simple nod. "Thanks." We walked out of the door and the next thing I knew Daryl had me pushed against the wall of the building. His lips were pressed roughly against mine and when the kiss finally broke we were both out of breath. "What was that for?" I asked slightly confused.

"Yer just so fuckin hot when yer in super jealous girlfriend mode." I peck him on the lips.

"So I'm yer girlfriend huh?" I asked with a giggle.

"Uh…" he started biting his fingernails and

"Relax Daryl, no need to label it." I said with a smile before pressed my lips to his again. He pressed me tighter to the building, grabbed my legs and pulled them up to wrap around him.

**Merle's Pov-**

I could hear the slight moans not long after Lyla and Daryl went outside, but I wasn't worried about it because I knew that the moans had nothing to do with walkers. I heard a snort come from the table across from the one I sat at and looked up to see the blond staring at the door. "Problem?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah they could try and be a little more discreet about that shit. They go at it like rabbits." That caused me to laugh.

"Discreet? In a prison? Yeah good luck with that one." She folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them for a second just to life her head back up.

"How can you stand to just sit there and listen to that?" she asked and I ignored her she didn't want to know how I learned to ignore those sounds and ones much worse. Hell compared to the sounds of ear piercing screams and pleas of his mother being beaten within an inch of her life in the room next to his, the sounds of simple sex was like the sound of the wind, harmless and natural. "Ugh, can we at least get away from them?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"And where so ya suppose I take ya?"

"The other women are up stairs doing laundry, they could probably use help."

"Ya suggestin I do laundry?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"No, I'm suggesting that I help them with laundry." I stood there thinking about it for a minute. "Please Merle; I'm tired of just sitting here." She begged me.

"Ugh fine."

**Talitha's Pov-**

We were in the middle of skinning that last squirrel when we heard the moans. Not just the normal low moans of one or two walkers, but the loud roaring of many riled up flesh eating dead people. Daryl and I exchanged a glance then bolted to the door to inside the prison. I skidded to a stop realizing Merle and Cammy were no where to be seen. "Merle!" I heard Daryl yell before I touched his arm and shook my head.

"Do you want to lead them straight to lunch? Shush." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"What's wrong?" merle asked form over the guard rail of the cells above.

"Walkers, lots." I stated simply. "Get everyone down here now get violet to gather the supplies in the bags again in case of a fast exit." I grabbed my bow and quiver full of arrows off of the table then headed to the door into octagon court yard.

"Where are we going?" Daryl asked from behind me cross bow in one hand and quiver and gun slung over his back.

"To get my brother and George." I opened the door stalked into the court yard.

"But we don't even know where they are." He argued.

"I do, main building basement." He nodded and followed into step beside me.

We went through the main building and out the front doors around the side of the building the metal door. I opened it and it shut with a bang becoming completely dark inside. Crap I forgot to gab a flashlight. I was about to turn around a run back for one when light filled the building. I looked at Daryl to see a flashlight resting on his bow he nodded to me. We took a few steps and a geek stepped into the light, a knife was plunged into his eye and blood splattered across my face. We took a few more steps and three more walkers came into view I pulled the knife from the sheath on my hip and stabbed the walker through the eye. The third now lie on the ground in front of Daryl. "You ok?" I asked.

"Yeah either they aren't in here or they are trapped." He said and we continued down the dark hallway and down the stairs. Dispatching one more walker before we came to the big room filled with big metal generators. A flashlight was on the floor shining brightly between dozens of bodies lying on the floor. Snarls were coming from across the room I looked away from the bodies following that path of Daryl's flashlight. The beam landed on a crowd of walkers growling and reaching for something. "Lyla!" Exclaimed the two men simultaneously. The two men were standing on top of the gigantic metal generator in the center of the room. Seeing that they were alive and the walkers were completely distracted my the meal in front of them that Daryl and I were able to back down the hall some before we released our arrows into many of the walkers before they gave up on getting to the two man and came towards us. We had taken out enough of the living dead that we could, with some difficulty, take out the remaining walkers with our knives. The men jumped down from the generator.

"What the fuck were ya just standin up there for why didn't ya shoot them?" I asked.

"I ran out of arrows, and George ran out of ammo."

"Whatever, we have to get back to the group. There is a huge herd of walkers headed towards the prison. I don't know if the fence is gonna hold up." I ran down the hall way and stopped when I realized that George and Leon weren't following. "Let's move!" I yelled and the jumped to it. We ran up the stairs, down the hall in into the parking lot where walkers were starting to flow around the fence. Leon stopped outside the door and I turned to face him. "What are you doing? Come on!" I yelled but he shook his head his face filled with fear and tears.

"I can't put ya'll in danger." that's when I noticed it… a red circle on his upper arm. I froze not even realizing that a zombie had stumbled upon me. Not feeling the wind from arrow flying by my face to his the walker in the head not noticing that Leon was right in my face cupping it with his hands. "I love you, and I'm sorry for everything. Tell Vi the same thing, tell her to be happy and tell Merle to take care of her." He looked over my shoulder, "Daryl take care of my sister, please?" I heard Daryl grunt then Leon hugged me tight and hard before the fled away from us. I wanted to run after him, I wanted to scream for him to come back that we would find a cure we would find help for him but my body refused to move I was frozen. I couldn't hear, talk, see or scream I might as well have been a walker in this state. I didn't realize that I had been thrown over Daryl's shoulder until he was laying me on a bed in a cell.

My senses came alive then my legs moved at full speed toward the doors but I was caught by the arms of two strong men. They started dragging me back, my arms flailing as I punched at them hitting their backs and shoulders. "Let me go! I have to get him! I have to bring him back! FUCKIN LET ME GO!" I was being held down to a bed. One man was holding my hands against the bed and the other me feet, damn. (Holding my feet down wasn't helping the situation; I had a phobia of my legs and feet being held down.) Fear kicked into double overdrive and it was no longer about wanting to get to my brother I just wanted to be left alone.

"GOD DAMN IT FUCKING LET ME GO! LET ME GO YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I didn't feel it when my head came into contact with something hard I just kept thrashing about trying to get out of the vice like grip of the men holding me "LET ME GO DAMN IT! LET ME GO *ear piercing scream* LET ME FUCKIN GO! Let me go! Aaargh! Let me go! Let go. Please let me go." My yelling faded to tear filled pleading. My I felt my body tremor as I sobbed. "Please please let me go please." I begged through the tears weakly and I was finally released. I curled up into a ball not seeing the blue eyes of the man I loved in front of my face not hearing what came out of his mouth not seeing the gray brick wall when he moved. All I could see was the red circle on the arm of my brother, the pained look and all the emotions sprawled across his face. Regret, sadness, longing, love, anger and panic all present at once. Tears fell freely from my cheeks, he was gone and he was never coming back…

**Daryl's Pov-**

I held Lyla's hands down as he trashed about trying to get away, trying to run into the horde of geeks that had gathered at the doors the moment we ran through them. If she were any other person I would have just threw her in the cell and let her go at it, but this was the woman I loved and I couldn't let her hurt herself she had don't that enough in the past.

My heart sank when she looked straight at me and called me a son of a bitch then head butted me causing my world to spin for a moment. She had never been so violent to me before, but I had been called a lot worse in my day so the verbal assault didn't hurt too much. I held the grip until she had trashed about so much that she was so weak she couldn't hurt a mouse if she wanted to. She rolled onto her side and curled into a tight ball as soon as I let her go. I got eye level with her, "Hey talk to me love, Lyla say something." Nothing, she was staring right through me. I stood up and placed my hand on her shoulder, "I love ya." I whispered in her ear before I removed the knife from her side and the lifted her up to take the bow and quiver off her back. I grabbed the little metal stool, placed it next to the spot she was staring at on the wall and sat down.

**Merle's Pov-**

The herd of Zombies had moved on as the hours ticked by. They had caused significant damage to the fence, but that could easily be fixed. Daryl hadn't left Lyla's side since they came in. I had held her feet down; I had never held a woman down against her will in my entire life. Yet here I was holding down one of the few people in my life I had ever truly cared for, here screaming to be let go. I knew she was screaming more at the fact that she had lost her brother, but I had to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. 'Dixons don't cry' I kept repeating in my head. I left the room as soon as I let her go; I couldn't stand to see her like that.

I started to panic when I didn't see violet anywhere. I ran to our cell but she wasn't there Greta was in the main room and saw the panicked look on my face and pointed to a cell upstairs. I ran to the cell to find Violet sitting in the corner of it her head between her knees and her arms folded over her head. She looked like she was waiting for the building to crumble on her or something. Her body trembled between deep breaths and I walked over and was going to rub her back, but as soon as my hand touched her she flew from her position knife in hand. I caught her wrist just before it came in contact of my eye. She dropped the knife and slid back down the wall.

I kneeled down in front of her "Hey you will be ok." I whispered cupping her face in my hand. She slapped my hand away. What the fuck? "Sshhh" I soothed rubbing her shoulder just to have it pushed away.

"Go away Merle." She said harshly.

"What did I do?" I asked at her glair.

"You fuckin know what you did." She hissed at me and I had no clue what I could have done.

"No I don't. What did I do?" I took a step closer to her. She shoved me, hard.

"Fuckin rapist bastard! Leon was right!" she screamed at me before she ran to the next cell over and slammed the door. I just stood there with my mouth open for a second before the emotion I was closest to took over, rage. I yelled, and punched and kicked everything in sight until I ran out of energy and fell asleep on the floor of the cell.

**Cammy's Pov-**

For once I seamed to be one of the few sane people in the room. George and Greta were huddled together at one of the tables, Talitha was in some sort of post traumatic shock, Daryl wouldn't leave her side, Violet was being a baby about everything and Merle was having a hissy fit in one of the upstairs cells. Don't get me wrong I was upset that Leon had died he was one of the stronger, and cuter, of the men we had around. He was, in spite of how he was overly protective of his sisters, on of the kinder men in the group, he had had a good heart. Before the world went to shit he made sure my sister and I had money for food, and to pay rent. He knew what my sister and I had done for the little money we got. He didn't judge the first time he saw me walk out of my apartment sporting a school girl outfit and a black eye. He didn't look at me with sorrow or resentment he just slipped fifty dollars into my hand and shoved me back into my apartment. I remember standing there with more money in my hand than I had had in months and an astonished look on my face.

A single tear trickled down my cheek before I quickly wiped it away. Everyone was still in there cells and there wasn't much light from the moon coming in through the few windows in the building so I decided to retire for the night. I checked on Daryl to find that he was still staring at a now asleep Lyla. I poked my head into George and Greta's cell and asked if they were ok but I didn't get and answer so figured that they were either asleep or just didn't want to talk to me. I walked to the cell I had been shut into and shuttered before walking in and laying on the bed. Sleep was about to fully pull me under when I heard Leon's name being screamed then the screaming turned into sobs. I didn't bother getting up; I knew that Daryl had it covered.

She probably wouldn't want help from someone that had tried to kill her anyways, no matter how sorry that person was for it. It didn't surprise me when she threatened to cut my hand off if I touched Daryl again, and in all honesty I didn't have any idea why I hugged him. I was smiling at Merle when they both thought I was looking at Daryl and I know now that I have to be careful of who I look at and how. I was thinking about how incredibly hot Merle was when I fell asleep.

**A/N:** Haha i'm assuming that you all thought that Cammy would cause all the trouble in this chapter. If you did, that was my intention, but this chapter flowed out of my fingertips instead. I don't know if I did the right thing in killing off Leon, but oh well to late now…I think.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Merle's Pov-**

I woke up to my hands burning and stinging like someone had stuck a torch to them. I examined the cuts and scrapes. I knuckles looked like someone had attacked them with a cheese grater. I stood and adjusted my clothing examining my body for further damage when Cammy came to the cell and leaned against the opening. "What do ya want?" I asked harshly.

"Just to offer you some breakfast. If you can call Squirrel cooked by someone who has never cooked a day in her life breakfast." She offered. "It's down stairs on the table if you want it."

"Fine." I followed her down the stairs and to the table where a plate full of bland looking squirrel sat. I got my self a plate and piled some of the squirrel on it. "This shit sucks." I said spitting it out. It tasted like she had drenched it in vinegar which was impossible because we didn't have any. I pushed the plate away and went to the cell Daryl and Lyla were in. Lyla was no longer curled into a ball. She was now lying on her side with her back away from Daryl. "How is she?" I asked frowning and leaning on the entrance of the cell.

"She's still asleep." He never took his eyes off of her.

"So she still hasn't said anything?"

"Oh she has _said_ plenty, but none of it was _to_ me. She just has random outburst, most times it don't even have anything to do with Leon."

"Have you gotten any sleep at all?" I asked.

"No, I can't leave her."

"You have to brother."

"Can't." was all he would say and I was in no mood to argue. So I went to the next cell over, grabbed the thin mattress of the bed then threw it on the floor in front of my brother.

"Sleep!" I said to him and pointed to the mattress. "Or ya won't be of any use to her when she does come out of this." He looked at me finally taking his eyes off of her. "Shit what happened to yer eye?"

"She punched me." She answered with a shrug then went back to staring at her. "Get some sleep damn it" I said pushing him from his chair onto the mattress. He glared at me before he rolled onto his stomach and tucked his arms under his head. I took his place on the stool. I don't know how did it for so long, I was board as hell after five minutes. I took out my whet rock and started sharpening my knife knowing that this particular sound wouldn't bother Daryl.

**Violet's Pov-**

I was wakened by Cammy asking me if I wanted breakfast and telling me she cooked it. I turned it down. Did she seriously think I would feel like eating Squirrel the morning after my brother had died? Jeeze she was stupid. I stood up from the corner I had fallen asleep in and stretched. My head was pounding and my back ached. I sat down on the bed of the cell, pulled my knees to my chest and leaned my head against the wall. Tears once again began to roll down my cheeks. Poor Leon, why did her have to run. Now he was never going to have any peace. His soul was never going to rest unless someone killed his undead body. I wish he would have come back. If we would have come back I could have told him how much I loved him how good of a person he was and that I would never forget him. Now I am left with no parting words and no body to burry at his funeral that is if we even have a funeral. I had lived with my brother for my whole life and now he was gone what was I going to do? I have nothing to live for now. Merle is a bad man and Lyla is in her own little world. Shit at this point I might as well throw myself into a group of walkers and just let them take me. I didn't want to deal with Lyla or Merle.

Merle…god. How could I have been so stupid? I could I have thought that I was in love with a man who could hold a woman down to a bed and not even flinch. He held her feet down to the bed so easily. I tore my eyes away from his hands on her ankles to look at his face hoping to see some sort of regret or sorrow on his face. All I saw was the expression of a man with a mission to hurt someone. That's when I realized my brother was right. He was the type that was used to taking what he wanted from women. From the looks of the expert way he was holding her down, he took it against their will. "Eeerg!" I yelled and punched the bed before collapsing onto it face down letting me tears soak into it. I don't know how long I had been laying there crying before Greta came in.

"Honey? You awake?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah." I mumbled through the mattress.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" she asked and I sat up and shrugged my shoulders. "You don't have to if you don't want to but I'm not leaving, it's not good for you to be alone right now." I nodded and leaned my head against the wall again. She sat down on the bed next to me and sat Indian style. We sat like that for a good while before she left then came back with my drawing pad and pencil. She sat it down on the little table that was attached to the wall. "I think you should give it a try it might make you feel better." I didn't know how I felt about that so I shook my head no. 'Please? For me?" she begged so I said ok.

I got up and sat on the little stool that was next to the table. I stared at the paper. I couldn't make my hand move. "I can't do it." I said looking at her.

"Yes you can. Remember what I told you in the kitchen the other day?" she asked and I nodded my head. "Try that and see if it helps." I told her ok and she left the room. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I held it for a few seconds before I released it through my nose. I did my best to clear my mind, I opened my eyes and my hand went to work. As always, I didn't pay attention to what was coming out of the end of the pencil. Sometime later I finally dropped the pencil picked up the tablet and handed it to Greta who had come back into the room. Her brows furrowed she bit her bottom lip and tilted her head looking at it.

"What? What did I draw?" I asked worried.

"You didn't look at it?" she asked and I shook my head. She handed the tablet to me and I looked at it confused. I had drawn the scene of Merle and Daryl holding my sister to the bed. Merle was looking over his shoulder and away for Lyla. "Why did you draw that?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know…this is not what I remember seeing." I said still looking at the picture.

"What do you mean?" she said coming to look over my shoulder at the drawing. "This is exactly what I saw. What do you remember seeing?" I took a deep breath to try and clear some of the many thoughts running through my head.

"Well most everything in the picture is accurate except for the expression on Merle's face. I don't remember him looking like…well like _that" _pointed to his face "like he was about to burst into tears." I stared at the picture for a while. "I remember him looking like he was meaning to hurt Lyla…almost like he was…having fun."

"Sweetie, to me it looked to me like it was practically killing him to have to hold her down like that." She said looking at my confused face. "I don't know what his face looked like to you, but whatever you saw, I'm sure it was just your mind playing tricks on you because of the shock of loosing your brother." She explained and I shrugged my shoulders. "Speaking of your brother…I was expecting you to draw him. I'm sorry for your loss." I shrugged again. I kind of expected myself to draw my brother to. I could practically feel the Greif of his loss piled on top of my heart like soured cool whip and the Merle confusion was the stupid rotten cherry topper. "Do you want to go check on your sister?" she asked interrupting my train of thought and I nodded.

We walked down the stairs and to the cell she was in. I wasn't expecting to see Merle sitting in a chair in the room and his brother sleeping on a mattress on the floor at his feet. Merle looked up and his eyes caught mine I noticed the small flinch before his face became hard and cold. My eyes left his face to look at my sisters sleeping form. "How is she?" I asked looking at Greta.

"I don't know this is the first time I've been here to see her this morning." Greta answered. "Merle how are they?"

"No improvement. Got Daryl to get some sleep." He reported and I nodded my head once before I turned around to leave. As soon as my back was turned I heard the bead move, I turned around to see Lyla sitting straight up in bed with her eyes still closed. Daryl was at her side in a flash.

"Joyce! Give it back you little brat!" she yelled and reached out grasping at in invisible object. "Errr! Get back here!" she then collapsed in Daryl's arms and he laid her back down on the bed. After he had her situated he turned to me.

"Can I talk to ya outside for a minute?" he asked and I nodded not knowing what he wanted to talk to me about. "Ya get me if something happens." He ordered his brother before walking quickly to the back door. I practically had to run to keep up with him.

"What's going on Daryl?" I asked at his worry worn face.

"Do ya have any idea who Arnina, Fora, Meri, and Joyce are?" he asked. I thought about it for a second.

"No none of them sound Familiar. Why?" He ran his hand through his hair ruffling it and making it stand on end.

"Her out bursts have been about these people. Ya saw tha one bout Joyce. Ya would think she'd be dreamin bout Leon er you er Merle er me, but no she is screamin bout random people n random things and I don't understand it." He was pacing back and forth practically yelling.

"Daryl…Daryl." I stopped him by grabbing him by the shoulders. "I don't have any idea who these people are, but what I do know it that you need to calm down. Being all riled up and getting your feathers all ruffled isn't going to help you or her." Wow when did I become the voice of reason?

"But I can't figure it out." He stated simply.

"I know, no one can, but you need to stay level headed. For her sake." I was trying my best to calm him down. If he kept going at this pace he was going to worry himself sick. He just stared at me like a scared deer. "Deep breath, hold it for three seconds then release it." He looked at me like I was crazy. "Just do it." I watched as he inhaled held it then released it.

"What was the supposed to do?" he asked as soon as he let it out.

"Calm you down a bit. Did it work?" he shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get back to Lyla" I said and we went inside and to the cell. He nodded to me in thanks before he sat down on his mattress. Merle was sitting on the stool which had been moved to the corner. I didn't have to look at him to know that he was giving me a cold glare.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I was lying on the ground in the woods. Tall green grass surrounded me; clouds were in the bright blue sky that was framed by the overhanging tree limbs. I was finding shapes in the clouds like I did when I was a kid. I had just found the shape of a bunny when it faded away to nothing. Like literally nothing I was surrounded by nothing but black empty space. I was still lying on my back when a person appeared above me. Black hair, sun kissed skin, green eyes staring down at me. I took in the rest of the figure. A black vest with guns attached to the front over a short sleeved army green shirt bow slung over her back, tan cargo pants with a knife sheathed to the belt and above the right knee. I jumped when the person spoke. "Are you going to get up or are you just going to lay there and die?" the voice was laced through and through with confidence and strength. I mentally flinched away. "Well?"

"Who are you?" I asked instead.

"Names Arnina."

"Am I really going to die if I decide to stay down here and enjoy the emptiness?"

"What do you think? And think hard before you answer." So I did. I thought long and hard.

"That if I don't gather the strength to get up all I will fell is emptiness." Arnina smiled as I stood up.

"Good answer." She began to fade into a mist. The mist flew around me in a whirlwind.

"Wait! Where are you going? Arnina come back!" I yelled but it was too late. The mist had settled soaking into every pore on my body. My skin tingled, I suddenly felt like I could punch through a brick wall and I was back in the woods. I now noticed that there were butter flies settling themselves onto flowers. I was trying to catch a neon yellow one when I heard the moaning and all of a sudden the flowers, trees and butterflies died. I looked around not seeing the source of the moaning I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around and the smell of decaying flesh and blood slammed into my nose. I gagged and backed away to look at the dead thing in front of me. It was a female walker?

"Kill me."

"What? Walkers don't talk."

"Talitha, kill me please." Holly shit a zombie was walking and…_talking_ to me. "You have to kill me." This didn't seam plausible. She had black half ripped out hair, still tanned skin and milky green eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked it

"Fora, Talitha please kill me. If you don't ill eat you." I couldn't do that she talked she was conversing with me. I couldn't do it I didn't even have a weapon.

"But I…" My bow materialized in my hand an arrow already in it.

"Do It!" Fora yelled and I quickly pulled back the string and let the arrow fly. It hit her right between her eyes.

"Fora! Oh shit Fora I'm sorry I'm so sorry." I held the body sobbing. She suddenly came back to life and flung herself into me, literally. The body meshed into mine and I had the urge to run and find a safe place. The forest came back to life with a burst of wind stifling my urge. It didn't last long this time; I became surrounded by flames everything was burning. Another woman appeared in front of me. Bright green eyes and black hair that was flaming at the tips.

"Aww is poor little Talitha sad? Is some one picking on you again tom boy?" she taunted me.

"And who are you bitch?" I sneered at her

"Hahaha names Meri slut." She answered mirroring my sneer. "What am I making you mad domestic bitch? Come on get mad. You know Daryl's going to leave you as soon as the little blond gets better." I flinched. "Uh oh did I hit a nerve?"

"Shut up."

"Or what? You will tase me?" she teased.

"Shut up Meri you fuckin nasty bitch!" I yelled and grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the nearest burning tree. She smirked at me evilly.

"Nice work bitch." She grabbed me and pulled me into her causing her to disappear.

"Shit! What the fuck is going on?" I yelled and punched the tree which had stopped burning and was back to normal.

"Excuse me but could ya please watch yer mouth?" came a little voice behind me. I turned around to see a little raven haired girl sitting on a rock in blue pajamas. "My bow!" she exclaimed happily, ran over, took it out of my hands and hopped back onto the rock.

"Hey! Be careful with that little girl." I warned.

"My name isn't _little girl_." She spat. "It's Joyce." I walked over to her.

"Can I have my bow back now?" I asked holding my hand out for it.

"Nope, ya hafta catch me for it." She hopped down off the rock and sped away. I chased after her.

"Joyce! Give it back you little brat." She stopped long enough to stick her tong out at me and that was all I needed to tackle the little girl to the ground. She started giggling and I found my self laughing along with her. She sat the bow down in my lap before she touched my cheek and faded into the spot she touched. I felt like I could laugh for ages. The forest became brighter and more filled with life. Where am I and who were all those women? Wondered silently as I drank from a little stream I had wondered upon.

"They were ya." Came a voice from behind me. I turned to see the beautiful form of my mother standing in front of me. "Well, the parts of ya that ya lost when yer brother died."

"Mom are ya really here?" I asked.

"Of course, I'm always here." She answered simply walking over to me and pulled me into a long hug.

"Where is here exactly? It's so beautiful." I asked when she finally pulled away.

"Yer head, yer heart, whichever ya prefer to think of it as. And yes it is beautiful here, because ya are beautiful." She touched my face and I expected her to fade away like the others but she didn't.

"Mom, what am I going to do?" I asked with tears in my eyes.

"Oh honey… ya deal with it like ya did me. Ya grieve then ya move on. Ya don't have to forget. I know ya will always remember, because I'm here."

"Why isn't he here?"

"Because he isn't yer voice of reason. I am and now I'm telling ya its time to return to earth and get out of yer head." She grabbed my by the shoulders and turned me around.

"But I…" I stammered.

"Go on, git." she kicked me in the butt. The beautiful world faded into a bright light and I closed my eyes. When the light finally went away I opened my eyes to see the gray wall of the cell in front of me Daryl's face quickly replaced it.

**A/N:** ok so i have to admit that i kinda sorta stole the whole shattered self thing from another book. (the house of night series) so i guess i should say that i dont own that. As always please review.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Ok just a warning the end of this chapter is rated M do to sexual content. you can skip it if you want to and pick up at the beginning of the next chapter and it will fill you in.

**Chapter 24**

**Talitha's Pov-**

"Hey." Daryl said quietly. I smiled sheepishly.

"Hey." I said with a raspy voice. "Can I have some water please?" I asked setting up on the side of the bed and my head started spinning. Vi came and handed me a cup and I downed it. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." She said with a nod. Her face suggested that she was relieved, but I could see the sadness and confusion that lingered in her eyes. "Um guys, maybe we should give them a minute." She suggested and everyone left the little cell but Daryl who remained standing against the wall across from me. I stood up, my head started spinning again and I wavered a little bit. Daryl was at my side in a flash holding my arm and elbow to steady me.

"Ya ok?" he asked and I turned to face him. I threw my arms around him which startled him and caused my head to start spinning again but it was totally worth the pain just to feel his arms around me.

"I', fine now that I'm back with ya." I said still in his arms.

"I…I thought I lost ya…" he whispered in my ear and I pulled away to look him in the eyes. His eyelashes were wet from tears.

"Ya will never loose me." He looked at the ground and I put my hand on his face to make him look at me. "I will always me right here," I moved my hand and placed it on his chest "and here." I moved my hand to his head. "Remember that."

"But I… I cant…" he grabbed my by the shoulders and pulled me into a long deep kiss. We were both breathless when it was finally broken. "I can't do that if yer not here. Ya can't leave me like that again. Ya just can't."

"Shh I know, I won't I promise." I hugged him again.

"I love ya baby." I pulled away to look him in the eyes again I smirked at him.

"Ya just call me baby." I almost giggled. He had never called me that before it was always Lyla or woman, never something as gentle and loving as baby.

"Deal with it." He said gruffly and pulled me back into him.

"I love ya to sweetheart." That got an amused grunt out of him and I giggled.

**Violets Pov-**

It had been two days after Lyla went to sleep that she finally woke up. I was so relieved to have her back, but the death of my brother was still sitting heavily on my heart. It was so weird not having him around. Believe it or not I missed his sarcastic remarks and his yelling at me about stupid stuff. It wasn't fair that he got bit, he was helpful and strong. So why did god leave me behind? I was not strong or extremely smart and I had no major talents to offer the group. Sure I could shoot the bow, but most of the time I missed my targets. Then there was Merle.

I had accused him of something that was unthinkable and now he wouldn't forgive me. I tried to ask him to forgive me, but he would always stop my attempts telling me to "No." or "Just don't" I even tried to hug him once, but as soon as I started to advance on him I was stopped when he put his fist against my stomach and pushed me away. He didn't punch me just gently shoved, which hurt more than if he would have punched me. At least if he punched me he would be showing some kind of emotion other than cold hatred.

Now Lyla was awake and she and Daryl were talking in the cell. She was a little dehydrated seeing as we could get her to drink anything when she was asleep. When she and Daryl came out of the cell she asked to talk to me so I grabbed a bottle of water and went outside with her. I handed it to her before she started talking to me and she downed it. "Vi, Leon told me to tell ya somethin before he ran away." My heart fell to my toes with a thud.

"What did he say?" I asked still not sure if I really wanted to know.

"He told me to tell ya to do whatever ya needed to to me happy." This caused tears to fall down my eyes. "I know it's not a big message, but at least it's somethin."

"No it's exactly enough, but Lyla…" she pulled me into a hug." Lyla I don't know what I need to do to be happy." She pulled back to look at me.

"Ya have to except Leon's death Vi."

"No, that's not what I mean. I've pretty much accepted that, I'm talking about Merle." I said sitting down on a chair that had been left outside.

"What do ya mean?"

"Lyla I did something really stupid…" she looked at me confused." I…I called Merle a…a rapist." I stumbled over my words looking at the ground.

"Ya did what?" Lyla practically yelled at me. "Why would ya do that?"

"I don't know when he was holding you to that bed it looked to me like he was…enjoying it. Like he was having fun." She was staring at me now with a grimace on her face. "But then Greta made me draw and I saw the truth in my drawing." She looked just as confused as I felt. "I know it doesn't make since, but it's the truth. I know now that it was killing him to have to hold you to that bed." She was still just staring at me. "I don't know how to fix this." I said in defeat dropping my head back to look at the dark clouds in the sky. It was quiet for a while before I spoke again. "Did you tell Daryl about your phobia?" I asked and she finally spoke.

"Yeah he knows and I told him to make sure Merle knows." I took a deep breath before I stood up.

"We should probably get inside. Looks like its going to rain." I said and started to walk to the door but she stopped me.

"I'll ask him to talk to ya, but ya can't say things like that to him. He and Daryl both are like skittish puppies, do one thing wrong and they run in the other direction. Got me?" she asked and I nodded my head. Then we walked back inside. The group was sitting at the table; Cammy was sitting next to Merle. I gritted my teeth and walked past them to go to the cell Leon and I had shared. I sank down onto the bed and pulled my knees into my chest.

**Merle's Pov-**

I watched as Lyla and Violet came in from the yard and I noticed Violets jaw clench when she looked at Cammy sitting next to me. The Dumb blond had attacked herself to my hip the past to days and I didn't know how to tell her to fuck off. She was always around trying to help with whatever tedious or mundane task I found to do. I got up to go to the bathroom and she followed me I ignored her like I always did expecting her to stop following when I went into the shower building and she did. I did my business and left the building expecting her to me gone, but as soon as I stepped out of the building she flung her arms around my neck and pressed her lips to mine. I growled and pushed her off of me. "Mmm I like it rough." She stated and came at me fast. I side stepped out of her path.

"What the fuck it wrong with ya bitch?" I spat and she stopped her advances.

"What ya don't want to fool around?" she asked in breathy tone.

"Hell. No." I said and she started walking towards me.

"Come on you know you want me." She tried to touch me but I hopped back and she missed.

"Ya better knock it out." I threatened.

"Or what? Oo will you punish me? Have I been a bad girl?" she bit her finger trying to look sexy. Don't get me wrong this girl wasn't exactly ugly, but amazingly enough, there was only one woman I wanted and it wasn't this slut. She advanced on me again and this time I let her. As soon as she had her arms around my neck I slung her over my shoulder and carried her to the building. She giggled "Ooo is this my punishment daddy?" she said when I threw her onto the bed.

"Fuck no." I then walked out of the cell and slammed the door locking it with a spar key. "No leave me the fuck alone bitch." I turned and walked over to where the rest of the group was sitting excluding Violet.

"What was that all about?" Greta asked.

"Bitch is crazy." I stated simply just to be met with questioning and confused looks. "She threw herself at me then wouldn't take no fer an answer." And they nodded.

"Merle, can I talk to ya for a second?" Lyla asked me and I nodded and followed her to a random cell away from the group. "Vi told me what happened."

"So she told ya that she thinks I rape women?" I asked angrily.

"Yeah, but has she told you why she thought that?" she countered and I shook my head. "She was in shock; she wasn't thinking or seeing clearly. She thought that she saw you enjoying holding me down." I snorted in disgust and she ignored me. "But then Greta got her to Draw and he drew this." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocked and held it out for me to see. It was me and Daryl holding Lyla down. Had I really made that face? I thought I hid it a little better than that. I pulled my eyes away form the scene on the paper to look at the ground. "Merle she understands now that she was wrong."

"That's a really fucked up trick for a mind to pull."

"I know but we also live in a fucked up world." She countered. "Merle, my brother told me to tell ya to look after our sister and that is exactly what yer goin to do." Since when did she _tell_ me what to do?

"Oh I am huh?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah ya are. And yer goin to go talk this shit out with her." I snorted again. "I'm serious Merle." And I stared at her as her frown turned into a smirk. "I still have my taser." That got a chuckle out of me. "But I really am serious ya need to talk to her." She finished and walked out of the cell leaving me there. I wasn't going to go talk to violet, not right now anyways I was still pissed that Cammy threw herself at me. So I went to my cell to simmer down a bit.

**Violets Pov-**

I fell asleep leading against the wall only to be waken sometime later to the sound of thunder and really heavy rain. Wind was making whistling sounds as whipped around the corners of the building. I absolutely hated storms, epically bad one like this. I looked out of my cell to see the group sitting at the table; a few candles were burning in the center of it illuminating their faces. I noticed Cammy was missing. I crossed my arms across my chest and walked to the table and sat down next to George. "Where's Cammy?" I asked receiving a few amused looks.

"Merle locked her in her cell again because she threw herself at him." George answered and I snorted in amusement causing merle to look at me. I noted the lack of coldness in the look and looked away. About that time my stomach growled loud enough to be herd over whistling of the wind. Lyla laughed at me.

"Hungary?" she asked and I nodded. She reached over to the other table and held out a bowl of cold lasagna. "Sorry, we can't get to the kitchen to heat it up. The rest of us have already eaten."

"Its fine, I'm just glad to have something to eat." I said and started to down the food I only stopped eating to catch the juice box she tossed to me. We sat there listening to the wind and rain for a good while, my nerves getting more and more on edge as she wind grew louder and the rain fell harder.

"It's getting pretty bad out there." Lyla spoke and I jumped as lightening hit not to far from the building causing a loud crash. "Vi, are ya ok? I know ya hate storms." I just nodded my head holding back the urge to run to the cell and tuck myself under the bunk. I didn't just not like storms I was terrified of them. Everyone thought that I would eventually grow out of my fear of bad weather, but I never did. "Are ya sure?" I never had the chance to answer because the howling of the wind turned into a loud thought stopping roar mixed with the sound of hail hitting the roof of the building. Fight or flight took over and before I know it I was in the corner of a cell. I could hear the faint sound of people yelling out side the cell but only one word of it made it through the fear that was clouding my brain. Twister. A twister was coming and the brick building was the only protection we had. I tucked my head between my knees and shielded my hand and neck with my hands like I had been taught in elementary school.

Shortly after I got into the protective position I felt someone sitting next to me with their arm around my shoulders holding me tightly against their muscular side. My body involuntarily loosened up a little and I look up to see the outline of Merle next to me. My knees dropped to the side and I pressed my face into his chest. We sat like that for what seamed to be forever before the thumping of hail and wind receded just as quickly as I came. It was completely silent now, but I didn't move from Merle's side my face still pressed into his chest. I listened as everyone slowly left the room leaving Merle and me in the room alone.

When I was sure the storm was over I lifted up my head to look at merle. Someone had lit a candle and sat it on the little table in the room so I could easily see him. I offered him a timid smile, but he didn't return it. "You're still mad at me."

"I'm not mad." He stated.

"Then why wont you talk to me?" he looked at the floor so I guessed the answer. "Because I hurt you…" He looked at me and nodded. "I'm sorry Merle. I am so sorry for saying that to you. But you have to know that I was just protecting myself from what I _thought_ I saw."

"Ya don't have to explain yerself. Yer sister told me everything."

"So you know about the drawing?" I asked and he winced away.

"I've never hurt a woman. Never will." He stated and I nodded.

"I know that now." We sat there for a minute in silence. "So will you forgive me?" I asked and he nodded then stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up hard and I slammed into him with a thump. I looked up at him then pressed my lips to his and after a second he started kissing me back. We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat at the entrance of the cell. We turned to see Daryl with a frown on his face.

"Group meeting." He said simply. So we walked into the main room and sat down at the table with the rest of the group.

"Ok it's still dark out, but from what we can tell, it is torn up pretty bad. The fence from the yard is gone. We need to decide if it is time to move on of if we should stay here and rebuild." Lyla said standing at he end of the table.

"I think we should just wait until morning, see how bad the damage is, then decide." George suggested and everyone agreed. I loved how this group never argued about anything.

"Okay, lets all get some shut eye." Lyla stated and everyone got up form the table and went they own ways leaving Merle and me alone in the main room with the burning candle. I turned to go to my cell, but I was stopped when Merle grabbed my hand stopping me.

"Move to my cell tonight?" he asked and I nodded. He released me and I went to my cell grabbed my blanket and went to his cell he grabbed the candle off of the table and followed me in. He set the candle on the table and took off his shirt and boots. I couldn't pull my eyes off of the tight muscles of his stomach. I watched him as he lay down on the bed. He cleared his throat.

"Ya comin or what?" he asked gruffly. And I kicked off my boots and took off my pants. (What? I hated sleeping in dirty pants and I didn't have anything to change into at the time.) I lay down next to him then threw the blanket over us. He wrapped his arm around my torso and pulled me up against him. He was warm in comparison to the coldness of the cell and I let out a sigh from the comfort his body offered mine. I was wondering he my body felt as good to him as his did to me when he pulled me in tighter. Suddenly I could feel the answer to my thoughts pressed against my backside. I gasped in surprise and I felt his chest rumble against my back in a silent chuckle. "Can't help it." He said simply. And I giggled for the first time after my brother's death I found my self smiling, and Merle was making me do it. I turned to face him pulled him into a deep kiss. I felt the tip of his tongue slide along my bottom lip so I responded to his silent request and parted my lips giving him full access. I let a small moan escape into his mouth when our tongues began fighting for control. His hand slipped from its place on my hip and down to my ass where he gripped it firmly before pulling me on top of him. I let out a little yelp of ecstasy and sat straight up when I felt his hardness pressed firmly against the thin material of my boy short panties.

"Shit, did I hurt you?" he asked breathless.

"No." I answered then leaned back down to continue kissing him. It wasn't long before his hand grabbed my shirt and pulled it off breaking the kiss. My lips went to his neck as soon at my shirt hit the floor. My bare breasts pressed against his chest and he let out a throaty moan. I was rewarded with another moan when I nibbled at his collar bone. His hand found their way to the waits band of my panties when something snapped and I sat straight up. "Merle I…"

"We can stop if ya want to." He interrupted me.

"No I don't want to stop I just…uh…" I suddenly felt like a scared little mouse where moments before I was filled with confidence. "I'm scared." Admitted shamefully. "I mean…I've been told it hurts."

"I'll be a gentle as I can." He promised me and I nodded my head and he tugged my undies down. He pulled me down and kissed me but I broke it when I felt him fumbling wit the button of his pants.

'"Uh Merle?"

"Mmm?"

"Can you uh…will you be on top? Don't really know what I'm doin here."

"Sure." He said and rolled us over. Confidence latched onto me again and I swiftly undid his pants and pushed them down as far as I could and he toed them off leaving them at the foot of the bed. I ran my hands down his sides and was surprised by the lack of boxers. I was snapped back to reality when I felt his member rub against my center.

"Merle, protection." I hissed through the pleasure.

"Where?" he asked, a slightly aggravated tone was mixed into the huskiness of his voice.

"My pants pocket." I answered and he got up. I could hear the package being torn open then we was back above me kissing me then moved to kissing my earlobe. I felt his grab my hands from their exploration of his back. He laced his fingers through mine and held my hands down to the bed above my head.

"Ready?" asked and I nodded my head. "Yer sure?" I nodded again. "Tell me." He demanded and pleaded sexily.

"Please Merle, I need you." I said and before I even knew it he enter me swiftly and fully. I yelped from the intense pain and bit down on his shoulder to stifle the scream. He froze.

"Shit, I'm sorry, sorry." He said and the pain quickly receded and I found my self kissing his neck.

"Don't stop please Merle." I said and soon I felt like I was on cloud nine letting little moans of pleasure escaping both of us. Soon my body shuttered and I dug my nails into his back in pure intense ecstasy and Merle relaxed on top of me coming down off his high as well. He eventually rolled off of me and stood up.

"Shit!" I heard him whisper and I was at his side wrapped in the blanket.

"What?" I asked my blood running cold when I saw the look on his face in the candle light. "What?"

"It broke." He said after a minute of staring at me. I didn't have to be an experienced to know what he meant. My knees gave out and I crashed onto the bed.

"Shit." I echoed.

**A/N:** thank you all for reading and reviewing :-) i appriciate all the support.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** ok so this chapter is a bit short. sorry.

**Chapter 25**

**Violets Pov-**

"Shit." I whispered again. Merle slowly came and sat down next to me. He had slipped on some boxers and jeans. He grabbed his shirt off of the floor and slipped it over my head. I helped him out and slipped my arms into the holes. We just sat there in complete silence; neither of us knew what to say. I was in shock not moving or speaking hell I was hardly even breathing. Finally it all sank in. I had just lost my virginity, and now I might have gotten pregnant. A tear slid down my cheek. Merle quickly wiped it away, blew out the candle, and pulled me into his arms. We lay down; his arms never left my waist until I removed them. I stood up and slid my underwear back on; I wasn't going to sleep without them. I went back to Merle and laid down facing him. His hand rested on my hip and mine on his chest.

"What do we do Merle?" I asked.

"I don't know." Was his only reply so I nodded my head and pressed my face into his chest. His warmth calmed me enough so I could fall asleep.

_"Shush shush." I began to hum to the little bundle in my arms to calm its crying. I was rocking back and forth in a rocking chair as I looked at the blue walls of the nursery that were decorated with little brown puppies. The brown baby bed had a matching bumper pad decorated with puppies and ball caps. I looked at the little bundle in my arms when its crying receded. Its blue eyes stared up at me as it sucked on a pacifier. I smiled at how much he already looked like Merle. The only thing I could see that he got from me was his naturally sun kissed skin. I kissed him on the cheek and laughed when he smiled around the pacifier. I had laid him in his bed when a walker crashed through the door and lunged at me. I didn't have any protection on me so I fought back as best I could.\, but I was no match for the geek and he ripped into my throat. I screamed and the baby started crying._

I woke up screaming Merle was holding me close whispering comforting words in my ear. I stopped screaming, wiped my tears and sat up on the side of the bed. "So I guess ole Merle didn't do a good job of scarin away tha bad dreams this time." He said sitting next to me with his arm around my waist.

"Guess not." I answered and he stood up and pulled on his shirt. Tears were still falling down my face from the horrible dream and he noticed. He kneeled down in front of me and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Do ya want to talk bout it?" he asked brushing a tear off of my face. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the floor.

"Talk about what? What happened last night, my dream or the fact that they are connected?" The tears had stopped falling but I was still looking at the floor. He didn't say anything. I could see the panicked ''uh…'' look on his face. "Merle I dreamed that we had a baby and a zombie came into the nursery and ate me." He was still speechless. "Merle say something please."

"Uh…I don't…know what to say." He wasn't talking this well.

"Ok. Ill just…uh…go then." I got up and pulled my jeans on. I was about to walk out of the cell when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I spun around and slammed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and I sighed.

"Sorry." He whispered into my hair.

"It's fine." I pulled away from him. "There's nothing we can do about it now so why don't we just go about our business like normal?" I asked and he nodded his head. We walked out of the cell and I sat at the table in the main room. Everyone eventually came out and joined the group.

"How's it look out there?" Lyla asked as Daryl walked over to the door and opened it. Sun light filled the building.

"Like we said last night, the fence is completely gone from back here. The yard is no longer safe." He shut the door and walked over to Lyla.

"Ok Merle, Daryl, and George why don't ya'll come with me and we will see if there is any portion of the fence is still standing." Lyla said and the three men gathered their weapons, and followed her out of the door. That left me Greta alone in the main building with Cammy in her cell. No one had bothered to check on her since Merle had thrown her in there. I got up from the table and made my way over to the cell to see her laying on the bed sound asleep.

"Cammy. Cammy!" she didn't move. "CAMMY!" she still didn't move. Shit.

**~The previous night~**

**Cammy's Pov-**

I had been thrown into a cell for the second time and left to starve. These people hated me. Even the one man that I thought would appreciate having a certified whore around didn't want me. What is my purpose in this shitty stupid world? I couldn't cook to save my life. I couldn't fight, or hunt, hell I couldn't even save my own sister. The one man I thought actually cared about me had been bit and ran away like some coward. They didn't even come to make sure she was ok after a tornado had came through and probably torn up everything that made this place safe. I smirked to myself. I told Violet this place wouldn't last forever and that we were all going to die.

Well they hadn't died yet, but they were sure to when they finally chose to leave this stupid place to follow another pipe dream to got knows where. From what I have heard about Talitha's previous missions she was the exact definition of a pipe dreamer. Well not me, I refuse to go on some stupid mission and die the miserable death of being eaten by a geek. They could hope and dream all they wanted but there was no point in hope. All that brought on was heart break. That's the way it had always been before the world went to shit and that was never going to change. I had made up my mind that if they let me out again that I was going to get my hands on a pistol somehow and bring a quick end to all of this.

That was before I got board and started walking around the cell. I saw something shine out of the corner of my eye so I went and picked it up. It was a sharp pointed piece of glass. I could hear the halleluiah chorus. I smiled as I sat down on the bed and faced the corner so that no one could see if they happened to walk by. I pressed the sharpest side of the glass to my right wrist as hard as I could and slid it across the blue blood vessel. I knew I had hit my target when blood started flooding out of my wrist. I gripped the glass in my right hand and made an identical slit on my left wrist. I was rewarded with a significant amount of blood flowing out of that cut as well.

**~Back to Violet~**

"Shit. Greta come here please." I called and Greta came running. "Do you have a key to the cell?"

"Yeah. Merle threw them to me before the left. Why? You aren't going to let her out are you?"

"No I'm just going to make sure she is ok, she isn't answering or even moving for that matter. Keys please?" she handed he the keys reluctantly and I opened the cell door. "Cammy? Cam?" I touched her shoulder and turned her over. I screamed at what I saw. Her lips were blue and she was covered in blood. Greta rushed to my side and pulled me out of the cell where I collapsed onto the floor. Greta sat down next to me and tried to hug me but I pushed her away. She got up and went into Cammy's cell and started examining things.

I didn't much like that girl, I mean she really was a whore, but that didn't mean she deserved to die. I was still sitting on the floor when Greta came out of the cell. She grabbed me by the arm, pulled me up and to the table. I just sat there not looking at anything in particular until the others came back.

"There isn't a single building that still has a fence around it." Lyla said when that busted through the doors making me jump. Merle only had to glace at me before he knew something was truly wrong and was at my side in a flash.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked us with an arm around my shoulders.

"Cammy's dead." Was all I could manage to say before Greta jumped in and started talking.

"She killed herself. She slit both of her wrists and bled out during the night. She used a piece of glass from the broken window." Every one was silent for a good while.

"Well at least we won't have to decide what to do about her when we move on." Merle chimed in.

"Merle!" all the women scolded him at once.

"What? She chose to end it. Was her choice and something tells me we wouldn't have been able to stop here if we tried." He countered.

"He has a point." Greta offered. "We do have to move on and she was crazy. She would have compromised us if we brought her along." Everyone just nodded their heads. After that we all got to talking and planning our next move. It was eventually decided that we would go to the base that Lyla hade been on her way to when she ran into Daryl and Merle's first group. Lyla was even hopeful that we might run into the other group there if it was still a functional base.

**A/N: S**o are yall happy i finally got rid of Cammy? i was honestly thinking of having walk straight into a hord of walkers but decided against it  
As always please review and let me know what ya think.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **ok so to make up for the drama of the last chapter 26 i made this rewright all mush. i hope yall like it. and if yall read the chapter 26 that i deleted this one is the same up until Talitha's Pov and dont worrie shane is is just mentioned in this chapter.

**Chapter 26**

**Merle's Pov**-

So we had decided to make the long journey to Fort McPherson in Atlanta. I had my doubts, but Lyla seamed so hopeful. There was no way I was going to protest. Plus I now had the safety of Violet to think about. I had never thought about being a dad considering what a shitty job I had done raising Daryl, but since that stupid condom broke I couldn't stop thinking about it. The thought of possibly becoming a father was scaring me shitless, as if I would ever admit that out loud.

After we finally agreed on where we would be going we stared packing up. Violet had gone upstairs to the supply cell and started packing everything up. I was in our cell packing what little supplies I had into my bag and everyone else was doing the same. That's when I heard it, a low moan then a growl, it was close. I grabbed my knife and spun around what I saw took me by surprise. It was Cammy, or what used to be her, she lunged at me with snapping teeth and I stuck the knife deep into here eye. I stood there scratching my head in confusion. When could she have gotten bit? She didn't get bit that I knew of. She had been locked in a cell the whole time she was here and the little bit of time she hadn't been in the cell had been spent following me around. I grabbed the body by the feet and pulled her from the cell. "Uh guys. Y'all might want to get down here." I said so that I would get everyone's attention. They all came over with questioning looks on their faces. "She turned." Was the only explanation I had.

"But she wasn't bit." Violet said with a confused look and I shrugged. "So you don't have to be bitten to turn?"

"Well, there's nothing we can do with this information right now. Why don't ya and Vi take her outside?" Lyla asked and Violet and I obeyed.

Once everyone had their things packed we made our way through the rubble of the fences. Thankfully there were not many walkers roaming about and because of the obstacle of the downed fences they couldn't get to us. We walked through the main building to the parking lot were we left our vehicles. We all threw our stuff into the bed of the truck before going to our own vehicles. Violet and I got on my Triumph, Lyla and Daryl on her Honda and George and Greta in the pickup. We sped off with Daryl and Lyla in the lead and Violet and me at the end of the convoy.

We had been driving for three long days. It was hard to set on the motorcycle for hours on end. We only ever stopped to move cars off the highway, siphon gas or to sleep in whatever roadside motel we could find before the sun went down. The only good thing about riding the motorcycle was having Violets arms wrapped around me. Occasionally she would rest her head on my back and I would have to tell her not to fall asleep.

We were making our way down a highway when the brake lights of the pickup flashed twice then slowed to a stop. I pulled up next to Lyla and Daryl with a questioning look. Lyla pointed to the yellow car she was parked next to. There was food on the hood and a message written on the front windshield. "Sophia stay here we will come every day." I read out loud. "Yeah so."

"Merle, Sophia was Carol's daughter. What if something bad happened and they need help?" Lyla asked and I didn't know what to say. I didn't even remember that the little girls name was Sophia. The other couple got out of the truck and joined the conversation. We all debated for a while on what to do. It was finally decided that we would search the surrounding area for signs of the other survivors since there was no real need to rush in getting to the military base.

We decided that it would be best if we all stuck together in the search and to not venture into the woods. We ended up driving up a long dirt road which I kinda thought was stupid. The world had gone to shit, what could we possibly find down a random dirt road in the middle of no where Georgia? After a little while of driving down the dirt road we were stopped by a gate. I got off the motorcycle and opened it. I stood aside as Lyla drove her motorcycle through and Greta drove the truck through. What I wasn't expecting was Violet to drive my motorcycle through the gate. She was shaky, but managed to get it through the gate. I raised my eyebrows and smirked at her. "Sorry." She said with a blush and I got back on the Triumph.

"No worries." I heard her release a breath of relief. "Just let me give ya a few lessons before ya drive it again." She laughed at that and we rode farther and saw a farm house materialize in front of us. Several people stood in front of the house. As we got closer I could make out things about the people. There was a white hared man, a blond haired girl that looked to be about fourteen and another girl that looked to be about twenty two or so with short brown hair. None of the people looked familiar. We all stopped our vehicles and started walking to the house.

"What do you people what?" the old man asked and I couldn't help but notice he was unarmed.

"We are just looking for our friends." Lyla answered back. Ha! Friends? Is that how she thought of them? "We were wondering of ya have seem them?" the man was looking at us suspiciously.

"What are their names?" he asked.

"Uh let's see there's Andrea, Carol, Rick, Shane…" her list was cut off when the man interrupted her. He told us that he has seen our friends and that they were camping out on his land. He pointed us in their direction then went back inside when he saw us turn and head in the direction he pointed. We were walking in the direction of the camp when the brunet ran past us and reached the group alerting them that they had company. She clung to the Asian boy's side.

We were met with an array of reactions. Sadness from Carol, happiness from Andrea, surprise from Rick, Lori was completely stunned. Glenn looked like he had seen a ghost, Shane just looked pissed as always, Dale seamed to be happy and T-Dog looked at me with a little hatred, guess he was still mad about all the mean racist things I had called him on the roof. Amazingly enough we were welcomed back into the group with open arms. Rick filled us in on what had happened with carol loosing Sophia and Carl being shot. Carl was still recovering and they were still looking for Sophia. I surprised everyone when I volunteered to help look for her and Daryl followed my lead and offered his tracking skills.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I was glad when Merle and Daryl offered to help them look for Sophia. They had been stuck on motorcycles for the past three days and could use a good tromp through the woods. No matter if they were tracking animals or humans just being in the woods calmed Daryl and I knew he could use it. Everyone could tell that I had found my family because the resemblance between Violet and I was uncanny, but that didn't keep them from asking so I had to relive the tale of my brother getting bitten. The sun started setting before I knew it and Daryl and I were given a tent to set up and sleep in, as were Merle and Violet. Daryl and I had just finished putting our tent up when Shane came and told me I had watch the man seamed different and I couldn't tell if it was in a good way or a bad way. He didn't tell me who I had watch with so I was surprised to find Violet on top of the RV. What happened to the "there has to be a man on watch at all times" rule? I shrugged it off and climbed up. "What's up?" I asked Violet when I was fully on top if the roof. I walked over and sat next to her in the second lawn chair. I had noticed something different about her since the tornado, but I hadn't gotten a chance to ask her. She responded to my question with a shrug of her shoulders. "Are ya ok?" I asked. She just shrugged again. "Vi, what's wrong? It's not like ya to not talk to me." She let out a big sigh before she spoke to me.

"Lyla, how do you know if you're pregnant or not?" What? Why was she asking me this?

"Uh I guess when Mother Nature doesn't pay ya a visit, ya take a test and a little pink plus sign shows up. Why are ya askin me this?" she was staring at her feet and didn't look up when I asked. "Violet yer scarin me…" she looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Merle and I had sex and the condom broke." She confessed in a rush and followed up the words with choked sobs. "Lyla what if I'm pregnant? I can't have a baby in this world it's too dangerous." She had gotten up from her chair and was pacing the roof. I got up and pulled her into a hug.

"Vi, why didn't ya tell me about this earlier? When did it happen?" I asked pulling her away from me.

"At the prison…after the tornado." She confessed and sheepishly smiled. We sat down on the edge of the camper letting our feet hang over.

"Well, I hate to say this, but there's nothing ya can do if yer pregnant unless ya want tha vet to give ya an abortion." She shook her head rapidly. "Ya might not be pregnant, we will just have to wait and see." I answered and she asked me how long she would have to wait to find out. After a short discussion we figured out that Mother Nature was supposed to pay her a visit in a week. If it didn't come with in the next nine days then we would make a run to the pharmacy in the closest town and get a pregnancy test. I tried to reassure her that she might not be pregnant, but she wouldn't hear it. She had stopped crying during our discussion. I couldn't help but wonder how Merle felt about possibly becoming a father but I wasn't going to ask her that. So I tried to lighten the mood with another question. "Sooo?"

"So what?" she looked at me like I was crazy.

"So was he good?" she blushed and I laughed.

"Lyla!" she punched me in my arm which only made me laugh harder.

"What? Can't blame yer sister for askin." She laughed along with me before she looked at the ground and blushed. "Sooo?" I asked again nudging her with my shoulder.

"It was so…amazing. You wouldn't think such a man could be so gentle, but he was. He didn't pressure me and he let things move at a pace that was comfortable for me. Lyla, I think I love him."

"Have ya told him that?" I asked and she shook her head.

"I was going to tell him afterwards but then he said that the condom broke and I couldn't make the words come out of my mouth." I didn't know what to tell her. I wasn't exactly an expert when it came to telling someone how you feel. Hell, I was drunk when I told Daryl I love him. "What do I do Lyla?"

"Well I guess y'all will tell each other when the time is right." He kept staring at her feet. "I'm sorry yer first time ended like that." I nudged her shoulder again and she looked at me with a weak smile.

"It's alright. It was still great." I laughed at her and not long after that Andrea and Rick came to take over watch. I hugged Violet goodnight then went to mine and Daryl's tent. He was awake when I got into the tent. He was lying shirtless under the sleeping bags and smirked at me when I came in.

"What was so funny?" I hadn't realized we were being that loud.

"Nothing thatcha would care to hear about." Responded as I stripped off my jeans and slid into the blankets. The amused smirk didn't leave his face.

"Try me." He said challenging me so I told him that Vi and I were talking about her and Merle's sex life. "Ok, gross I can live without hearing that." I laughed at him.

"Told ya." I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed again when he did the same. "Hey, I have a better use for that." I grabbed his head and pulled him into a kiss. I pulled away and gave him a suspicious look. His hand shot up to his mouth and he started biting his thumb nail. "Why do ya taste like chocolate?" I asked pulling his hand from his mouth even though I loved his nervous habit. He just looked at me like a little kid that just got in trouble. "Daryl?" I didn't care I just wanted to know where he had managed to get chocolate.

"I uh might have traded Carl a Swiss army knife for his chocolate bar." His hand was back to his mouth. Did he seriously think I would get mad at him for that? I laughed at him and pulled his hand away from his mouth again.

"Daryl, I don't care as long as Carl having a knife is alright with Lori." He smiled at me and said it was. "And ya didn't save me any?"

"Wasn't a big bar." He responded simply shrugging his shoulders. I crossed my arms over my chest and laid on my back staring at the tent ceiling in a mock pout. He knew what I was doing and laughed. I cut my eyes over at him to give him a playful glare but I was distracted by the thin rectangle of chocolate that he started to dangle over my lips. I opened up my mouth and he dropped the chocolate in. The chocolate melted on my tongue, I closed my eyes moaned in pleasure. I heard him chuckle and I sat up to look at him.

"Thank ya Daryl. That was really good." He held up the rest of the chocolate bar and I grabbed it from him.

"Wasn't a big bar my ass, there's more than half a Hershey's bar here." I hit it behind my back when he went to reach for it. He demanded I give it back to him saying _he _traded _his _knife for it. "So, what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." He didn't seam to like that very much, but I could tell I hadn't pissed him off or anything.

"That's bullshit woman, we ain't married." I let him take the chocolate from behind my back. I couldn't help but wonder if he would want to get married if people still did that in this world. I could just picture me walking down a rose petal aisle in a white dress at a picturesque location on Hershel's farm to meet Daryl standing under a rose covered archway wearing a tux. "What are ya thinking bout woman I can practically here yer gears a grindin up there?" I didn't answer I wasn't about to tell him what I was thinking. "Hello in there." He said waving a hand in front of my face causing me to look at him. "What were ya thinking about?" he asked looking at me through narrowed eyes.

"I uh…I was thinking bout Merle and Vi." I lied. His look got more suspicious.

"Ya didn't look like ya were thinking bout Merle and Violet. Ya looked like ya were daydreamin." Crap he could tell I was lying.

"Ok ya caught me I was day dreaming." I just wasn't going to tell him what about.

"Bout…?" he pressed and I came up with an idea of how to distract him.

"Bout this." I grabbed the chocolate bar from him, broke off a square and stuck in him my mouth before kissing him. Our tongues fought over the chocolate adding to the passion of the kiss. Which was broken when the chocolate was gone.

"Well that was different." He said before he pulled me back into another kiss. We made out enjoying the lingering taste of the candy before fully indulging in each other.

_TWD~TWD~TWD~TWD~TWD~TWD_

I was cuddled up in Daryl's arms about to drift off the sleep when he spoke. "So what were ya really daydreaming about?" Ugh he wasn't going to let that go. I groaned and rolled over to face him. "And why don't ya want to tell me?" the look in his eyes suggested he was hurt that I wouldn't tell him.

"Daryl, what are we exactly?" I answered his question with a question.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean like are we just friends or friends with benefits or are we together like boyfriend and girlfriend together?" he looked a little confused. "I have to have the answer to this question before I tell ya what I was thinking about earlier." He started chewing on his thumb again while he thought about it.

"Lyla?"

"Yeah Daryl?"

"Will ya be my girlfriend?" he asked shyly and I giggled like a school girl.

"Of coarse ill be your girlfriend love." I kissed him and he smiled back at me.

"Ok so we're together. Now what were ya thinkin about?" I sighed and rested my head on his chest. "Come on ya know ya want to tell me." He said playfully and shook his shoulder making my head bounce off of his chest.

"Daryl…I want to tell ya I do, but," I picked up his hand and treaded our fingers together, "I just want to save it for a different time, kay?"

"It's not anything bad is it?" he asked giving me that really cute suspicious look again. I smiled.

"Yer so cute when you give me that look." I smirked at him and he snorted.

"I ain't cute woman now answer my question." I could tell now that I was starting to aggravate him.

"Daryl I wasn't thinking anything bad; actually it was a really good thought."

"Then why wont you tell me?" he was still aggravated.

"Because I'm just not ready to ok?" he just stared at me. "Daryl do you remember how we said we wouldn't say the L word around each other until we meant it?" he nodded his head. "Well this is something like that. I'm not going to say what I was thinking until I'm absolutely sure that I mean it." He nodded his head even though I was sure he didn't really understand.

"Why do ya have to be so complicated woman?" he looked defeated.

"I don't know, its what us women are best at _man._" he caught on to why I added the "man" at the end of my sentence and apologized for calling me woman so much I told him it was ok and kissed him on the cheek before I buried my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. "Night Love."

"Night Lyla." He kissed my forehead before I drifted off to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** sorry if this chapter is a little boring...please R&R.

**Chapter 27**

**Talitha's Pov-**

I woke up when Daryl got up at the crack of dawn to go looking for Sophia. I could tell he was trying to not wake me but I had grown accustomed to the warmth of he being next to me and my subconscious mind would wake me when he wasn't there. "Daryl do ya want me to help y'all look?" I asked causing him to jump not knowing that I was awake.

"Sorry didn't mean to wake ya. And no, the other guys are going with us. Ya just stay here and get some more sleep." I nodded my head and he grabbed his crossbow he was about to step out of the tent when I stopped him. "Daryl," he turned around to look at me, "I love ya and please be careful." He nodded his head before he leaned down and kissed me.

"I'll be back before ya know it babe." He planted another kiss on my forehead before he left the tent. I was all smiled when he left the tent and I fell back to sleep.

**Violet's Pov-**

Merle hadn't touched me since that night at the Prison. I mean he didn't completely push me away. He still let me ride on the back of his motorcycle with him on the way here, and he still let me wrap my arm around him when we were with the others, but as far as him making the first move, it wasn't happening. He didn't kiss me and I didn't try to kiss him. It wasn't just intimacy that we were lacking in, he wouldn't talk to me, not like we used to anyways. I didn't know if what had happened after we had sex scared him and he didn't what to chance it happening again or what, but I was getting kind of tired of him shutting me out.

He was lying on his back with one of his arms tucked under his head and I was lying on my side with my back facing him. Lifted up the tent flap to look outside. The sun would be coming up in about fifteen minutes so I figured I would go ahead and wake Merle up to go look for Sophia. I moved his knife and gun out of reach before I spoke to him. "Merle time to get up." That was all I had to say for him to sit straight up and reach for his knife out of habit. He slumped back down on the bed when he saw that it was only me in the tent and there was no danger. "Merle the sun will be coming up before to long." He reached over me to pull up the tent flap.

"I still got ten more minutes I could sleep, night." He flopped back down and pulled the sleeping bag aver his head, but I pulled it back down and he glared at me. "Ya have something against sleep?" he asked groggily and I glared back at him. He got the hint and sat up with a sigh. "Got something ya wanna say?"

"More like ask." I said till glaring at him. He made a hand motion for me to ask away. "Are you mad about what happened at the prison?" he didn't answer. "Merle please talk to me." He let out a long breath in defeat.

"Violet, I'm not mad. I just…I just don't know if I can…deal, with being a dad if yer… ya know." Ok I could understand that but it's still no reason for him to push me away unless…omg he wouldn't.

"You don't plan on running away if I am, do you?" The question left my lips before I could stop it and he looked like I had just slapped him in his face.

"I wouldn't do that to ya, ya should know that." I looked at the floor ashamed.

"I know that Merle I'm sorry." I said still looking at the floor. He didn't say anything for a minute so I looked at him through my eyelashes. "Do you forgive me?" he seamed to think about it before he answered.

"Yeah I forgive ya. Just don't assume the worst of me again. If ya do have a…kid," he stumbled over the word and I could tell that he was actually scared shitless of the thought of being a father, "I will be around to help ya take care of it, but I'm not guaranteeing that I'm going to be a perfect father. Look at how bad I fucked up with Daryl."

"Doesn't look like you messed up to bad. He's alive, he's here, and from what Lyla says he is a sweet, honest, caring man, _because_ of you." He looked at me like I was crazy and I just shrugged not knowing what to say. The sun started coming up as we sat there in silence. Merle gathered his things up for the search and was about to walk out of the tent when I stopped him. "Hey Merle?" he turned around with a "what?" look on his face. "Can I have a kiss before you leave?" he nodded and gave me a peck on the lips. "Really? That's what you give me to work with if something happens out there and you don't come back to me?" he cocked an eyebrow at me and stepped back into the tent, sat his gun down, pulled me up into his chest and gave me a kiss that left me weak at the knees and wanting more, but he left the tent in a rush. I laid back down and drifted back off to sleep to dream of Merle.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I woke up to the smell of food cooking. I took a long sniff of the air whatever it was it smelled good. I got dressed in some clean clothes and headed out of the tent. Carol was the only person up and she was leaning over the fire stirring a pot. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she looked up from the pot long enough to see who she was talking to.

"No, nothing I can think of." She looked so crushed and distant as she stirred the stew.

"Carol," she looked up from the fire, "Daryl and Merle will find yer daughter." She shook her head.

"How can you be so sure?" her eyes started to get misty.

"Because I have faith. I have faith in Merle and Daryl and I have faith in their tracking skills." She just nodded her head and looked back down at the pot; I could hear little sniffles coming from her. Ok time to change the subject. "So is everyone else still asleep?" he looked at me and shook her head. "So where is everyone?" Hershel and his people are doing their own things. Shane, Rick, T-dog, and Glenn are with Daryl and Merle looking for Sophia. Lori is still in the house with Carl, and Dale and Andrea are in the RV." I asked her if she thought I would be interrupting something if I went into the RV it Dale and Andrea and he said that I probably would so I didn't interrupt them. I asked her again if there was anything I could help with and I was slightly disappointed when she said that there wasn't. I got up to go back to mine and Daryl's tent, and she told me over her shoulder that the house had hot water if I wanted to shower. I nodded in response and gathered my things from the tent before I headed to the house.

When I got to the door I froze. Do people still knock during the apocalypse? Ah what the hell, I raised my hand to knock on the door when the Brunet girl stepped out. I stumbled out to keep her from running into me. "Uh…Carol said I could use the shower?" it came out in the form of a question.

"Yeah bathrooms down the hall and to the right." She instructed pointing into the house.

"Thanks." I stepped past her then turned around when I realized that I didn't even know this girls name. "My names Lyla by the way." I extended my hand out to her and she shook it.

"Yeah I know. Glenn has told me all about you." I dropped her hand.

"Uh oh, what did he tell ya exactly?" I was worried that the rumors had traveled to this farm. "I didn't make the best first impression when I joined this group the first time." She kinda laughed.

"He just told me that you have a…different, since of humor."

"Oh." I didn't want to know what he had told her, but she seamed to be the kind that didn't judge. "Ok, what was yer name again?" she replied that her name was Maggie and pointed me in the direction of the shower again. I was starting to get the idea that I smelled bad, and for the first time I realized that I did stink. Geeze, how did Daryl sleep next to me last night?

I went to the bathroom and was surprised that the water was hot. I probably shouldn't have but I took my own sweet time in the shower, savoring the way the hot water felt running down my back and legs. It loosed what little tension had built up in my shoulders completely relaxing me. I was just standing there with my eyes closed and my back to the stream of water, when the shower curtain was slung back and a hand came over my mouth. I tried to scream but it was muffled by the hand. I scrambled to get away but the hand was to strong and I was pulled be back into its owners body. "Shhh shush, it's just me, it's just me." I relaxed to the sound of Daryl's voice. He let go of me and I spun around glaring at his grinning face. I punched him in the arm as hard as I could. "Ouch!"

"What tha fuck? Ya scared the shit out of me Daryl!" I yelled at him and we both realized that I was crying. He reached up to wipe a tear off of my cheek.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya." He put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me into his chest and I rested my chin on his shoulder. I wrinkled my nose.

"Ya stink." He laughed.

"That's kinda why I came in here." He started getting undressed. I stepped out of the shower and started drying off. "Yer not gonna join me?" he asked looking confused. I didn't know why but I was still mad at him.

"Uh, no, I think I've been in long enough." I finished drying off.

"Are you sure?" he asked running his fingertips down my spine setting off sparks in me.

"I'm sure." I said trying to sound like I meant it, but my voice defied me.

"Ya don't sound sure." He slid his hands around and up my midsection to cup my breasts. I let out a moan. God the things this mad could make me feel with the simplest touch. Even still I was mad at him.

"Daryl, please, not here." He let out a sigh and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Ok, fine." She didn't sat it like he was angry and I turned around to look at him. He kissed me before he stepped into the still running water and pulled the curtain. I finished getting dressed and left the bathroom. I could tell when I got back to camp that Sophia was still lost. No one was smiling or talking.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **i am sorry that the last chapter sucked so bad. i blame it on the fact that i was really sick when i wrote and posted it. sorry guys. hope this chapter is better.

**Chapter 28**

**Talitha's Pov-  
**Two days had passed and things were tense around the farm. We still hadn't found Sophia even though Daryl and Merle were doing their best. Things seamed to be getting bad between Shane, Rick, and Lori and to make thinks worse things were still not right between Daryl and me since the shower incident. I wasn't mad at him anymore I didn't even know why I got so mad, but I regretted it now. The only good new was that Carl was getting better and was now out and about. I noticed that he wore his father's hat constantly and couldn't help but think about how good of a father Rick was compared to how bad of a mother Lori was. She hardly ever watched out for the kid, she was constantly asking me or Dale to watch him so she could run off and try to settle things between Shane and Rick.

I didn't mind keeping an eye on the boy. He was smart and caught on to things quick when I showed him the few card tricks I knew. He was quick to run off and show as many people as possible. He even managed to get Merle to watch him when he came out of the woods from looking for Sophia one day. I noticed Merle was tense and nervous around the kid and I couldn't help but laugh to myself. I still hadn't told Daryl about the pending problem between Merle and Violet and I didn't know if Merle might have told Daryl either.

The two were currently in the woods with Rick looking for the little girl; Shane had quit looking, completely giving up the search. I couldn't understand how he could just give up on an innocent little girl, but then I remembered that he was a horrible person. Carol was getting increasingly depressed and the last time I had talked to her I almost sounded like she had given up to. Her situation was bleak, but I didn't think it was right of her to give up on her own daughter. I just kept hoping and praying that they would find Sophia.

I was sitting in a chair on top of the RV, and judging by the sun it was about three o'clock when I saw the men come out of the woods. I picked up the binoculars off the little table someone had brought up there and peered through. "Carol! They found Sophia!" I yelled excitedly at what I saw. Rick had a little girl in his arms. Carol ran in their direction, but I got a sick feeling in my stomach as they neared. I could see something wasn't right by the look on Daryl's face. I dropped the binoculars to the table and scrambled off of the RV to catch up with the Carol as she neared the others.

"That's not Sophia!" Carol yelled. She turned around a glared at me. "You said they found Sophia!" she hissed at me.

"How was I supposed to know that wasn't her?" I spat back angry that she was mad at me. How was I supposed to know that there was more than one little girl running around out there? "Carol I'm sor…"

"Just don't!" she cut me off. "You have done enough!" she turned around not even checking to see if this new little girl was ok.

"We need to get her to the house to see Hershel." Rick spoke up from behind me and we all headed to the house. We all started walking to the house and I fell instep beside Daryl.

"What's the story?" he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye but didn't say anything. "Daryl?" he let out a sigh.

"I found her in the closet of an old ran down house." He didn't add anything else. He had found her, not Rick or Merle? I wished I knew what he was thinking and not knowing made me more nervous than I had been in a while. I reached up for I necklace I had long forgotten about and remembered that it wasn't there. I had forgotten all about that worried habit. Daryl noticed but didn't say anything. We came to the door of the house and Rick knocked at the door. Hershel answered and immediately ushered us all in when he saw the little girl in his arms.

"You found Sophia." The old man stated and everyone was quiet. I was about to speak up but Rick beat me to it. He explained that this wasn't Sophia, and that they had found this little girl in a run down house hunkered down in a closet passed out. He also said that there had been dead people in the house. Not walkers, but dead people that had never turned. He explained that all the dead people had been men, no women. He thought that maybe someone had raided the house and took the women, killed the men and left the child.

Hershel started taking care of the child. He said she was ok, just passed out from dehydration. So we all left the room leaving the girl to her rest. Daryl and I walked back to the camp with Rick and Merle. Daryl was about to sit on a log by the fire when I asked him if I could talk to him in private. He nodded and we walked to our tent. "Daryl, are ya ok?" he had looked even more worn down since the men had gotten back. He shook his head. "Talk to me?" I asked lifting his head so he wasn't looking at the floor and pulling his finger out of his mouth.

"I remember seeing that little girl on the highway we were on when this whole thing started. Her and her family was parked three cars ahead of Merle and me. It was her, her mom, dad and a boy I'm assuming was her big brother." I couldn't believe what he was telling me. "Lyla, she has no one left."

"Rick said that there were no women in the house?" I asked and he nodded. "How do we know her mom's not out there somewhere?" I asked trying to be hopeful, but that was getting harder and harder now days. His hand went back to his mouth before I could grab it.

"Because her mom was a walker I shot before we found the house." He said around his hand. "I don't think someone came and took the women, I think that woman got bit and the man went bat shit crazy and killed everyone including himself while his little girl hid in the closet." He moved the hand that he was chewing on to grab my hand that had gravitated to where my necklace used to be and treaded his fingers through mine. "Her father was the only one not shot directly in the head. He was shot under his chin, like this." He made a finger pistol and stuck it under his chin. "The pistol was still in his hand." He was confusing me.

"Then why did Rick say what he did about thinking someone came in and took the women?"

"I was the first one in the house and I had already found the girl by the time they came in. If the little girl woke up I didn't want her to see her father with a gun in his hand so I kicked the gun under the kitchen cabinet before the others came in." I didn't know what to say this whole situation had me thrown off. I just sat there looking at the holes in his jeans. "Are ya mad at me?" his question threw me off.

"No, why would I be mad at ya for savin a little girl?"

"No, not because of that. Ya just seamed distant since I sacred ya in tha shower tha other day." Oh now I know what he's talking about.

"Daryl I just…I was mad at ya but I'm not anymore. Ya just scared me really bad is all. The first thought that ran through my head was that Shane had come after me or something."

"I'm sorry." He was looking at the ground and chewing on his thumb again. "I didn't know it would scare ya that bad."

"I know, and I'm sorry I reacted so badly. Just promise me ya won't do that again?" I asked and he nodded his head. I lead in and kissed him lightly. "Carols mad at me." I changed the subject.

"I know I could tell." He said simply.

"I hate it when people are mad at me."

"I know that to." His short answers and lack of communication skills sometimes bugged me. I didn't realize until Daryl pulled my hand away from my chest that I had been looking for the necklace again. "Ya thinking bout him again?" why did his questions always confuse me?

"Huh?"

"Kayde, ya used to play with yer necklace when ya thought about em." He explained with a weird look on his face. He didn't know that I was just a habit that I had had before the world ended. Whenever I was worried I would fiddle with whatever necklace I had on at the time.

"I wasn't thinking about," I paused for a second, "Shit Daryl I don't even know what I was thinking about too much shit is trying to go through my head at once." I said aggravated. "I wasn't thinking about Kayde, but about Merle and violet, that little girl, if we are ever going to find Sophia, if that little girl might have information about Sophia. How dedicated ya are to finding Sophia, how things are tense around the whole camp because of Shane and Loris stupidity and how Carol is mad at me for no good reason." Tears of frustration started to fall down my cheeks and Daryl scooted over and pulled me into side. "There is just too much bad stuff happening right now Daryl. I can feel a storm a brewin and I ain't talkin bout the weather." He nodded.

"Has anyone told ya that Loris pregnant?" he asked and I pulled away from him to look him in the eyes.

"No." he nodded his head and told me that Rick told him. "Has Merle told ya that there is a possibility that Vi might be to?" his eyes narrowed and he shook his head. He didn't say anything else for a while then pulled my into a hug.

"Everything will be ok, no matter what this storm brings. Ill be here to protect ya." He said in my ear.

"We will all protect each other right? Ya, me, violet and Merle?" I asked and he nodded his head. We hugged and kissed each other before we climbed out of the tent to see the sun had just started to set. I hadn't realized we had been in the tent that long. We walked over to the fire where Carol gave Daryl two plates of food. I ate it, but I didn't like it, whatever it was. I walked over and sat beside Greta and George who I hadn't had much time to talk to since we got on the farm. We chatted to a while about the usual camp gossip, I was finding out the woman was good at that. She told me what little information Hershel had about he girl which was just that she had woken up screaming her head off yelling for her daddy before she passed back out. I had noticed that no one made an attempt to go check on the little girl and Greta had said that Hershel always came out to the group with the information.

"Where ya goin?" Daryl asked when I got up from the fire and headed to the house.

"To go check on that little girl, I'm not going to make Hershel and his family care for her all by themselves." I explained. "Ya comin?" he seamed to think about it before he got up and followed me to the house. "If ya think I'm in the wrong let me know?"

"Ya ain't. We brought her here, least we could do I help out." I nodded at him raised my hand to knock on the door but he grabbed my wrist. "Lyla she saw me before she passed out." He confessed. "That's how I knew she wasn't a walker, I opened the closed and she called me her daddy before she passed out. I ain't good with kids."

"Oh Daryl…" he shrugged it off and knocked on the door. Before I could say anything else Maggie answered the door. "We came to check on the little girl." I explained and he opened the door farther for us to come in.

"She's in here, she hasn't woke up again, but dad said she needs to soon so that we can get some food and water in her." She explained as she walked us to the upstairs room that the girl was in. We walked in and the little girl was curled up into a ball on her side. Her hair fell around her pail round face in little brown ringlets. She was still dirty and there were twigs in her hair. She was so little. I realized then that she was younger than Sophia. "Did you know this little girl?" Maggie asked us and I told her we didn't and that I just wanted to make sure she was ok. Daryl didn't come in the room fully, he was just standing in the doorway.

"I can set with her tonight if need be." I offered when Hershel came into the room. I had no idea why I was offering, I wasn't the best with kids, but it was too late to take it back. Hershel expressed his thanks and set a glass of water on the bedside table.

"See if you can get her to drink that if she wakes up. She is severely dehydrated, and if she feels like eating there is a sandwich already made in the icebox for her." He explained then left the room. Daryl was in the room, but still standing close to the door. He looked like he might bolt at anytime.

"Daryl, she's just a kid, she's not going to bite ya." I explained and motioned for him to sit in the chair in the corner. He didn't move. "Daryl, ya ok?" he looked back and forth between the kid and me a few times before he answered.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go back to the tent. I have to get up early and go look for Sophia." He explained and was about to leave the room without even a good bye, but I grabbed his hand and stopped him. I pulled him to me and laced my arms around his waist he hugged me back and I pressed my lips to his. "Why did ya say ya will stay with her?" he asked in my ear and I let him go to look at his face and into his blue eyes.

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to help out with something for a change. And like you said this little girl has lost everyone she loved, she needs as much support and care as possible right now. None of the other people from camp seamed to want to help so I figured I would." He nodded a little nervously and kissed me again. "Be careful and I love ya." I told him when he left the room and shut the door behind him.

I sat down in the chair in the corner of the room when Daryl left. I was regretting taking the job of watching the girl when I started getting bored. Boredom was something I was struggling with lately with Daryl out in the woods and nothing to do around the farm other than take watch on the RV. I was about to go use the restroom when the little girl stirred in the bed. She flipped over onto her back and sat up. He eyes were wide and scared. Her head darted from side to side looking for an escape, she darted for the door but I quickly stepped in the way and she stopped.

"Who are you? Where is my daddy?" she asked in a little panicked voice and I kneeled down in front of her.

"My name is Lyla." I told her sweetly. "What is yer name sweetie?"

"Kasey." The little girl backed away from me. "Where's my daddy?" she asked again. Oh lord, how do you tell a little girl that her dad is dead?

"Kasey honey, how old are ya?" she held up six fingers. "Can you be a big girl and drink this for me?" I asked avoiding her question and holding out the glass of water to her. She took the glass from me and started sipping the water through the straw. She walked over to the chair and sat the glass on it.

"My daddy saved me." The little girl said as she turned around. "I knew he would get me." I didn't know what to say so I avoided the subject of her dad again.

"Are ya hungry?" I asked and she nodded her head causing her curls to bounce. "Follow me and ill get ya somethin to eat." I opened the door and started walking making sure she was following me to the kitchen. I looked in the icebox and found a PB&J sandwich on a plate. I took it out sat it on the bar, grabbed a stool and set it where I set the sandwich. I looked at her and she lifted her arms to be picked up to sit on the stool. I could barely see her with only a candle for light in the kitchen not wanting to wake the whole house with the bright lights. She was about to bite into the sandwich when a thought came over me and I stopped her. "Are ya allergic to anything?" I asked her and she looked at me funny. "Do ya get sick when ya eat certain things?" I rephrased the question and she shook her head. She seamed to have given up on the subject of her dad and was enjoying the sandwich. She finished it quickly and I gave her another glass of water that she drank down quickly.

"Will you take me to my daddy now?" 'Ugh, this is hard' I thought to myself.

"Sweetie I can't take ya to yer dad."

"Why not?" she started to cry and Hershel came out of his bedroom and flipped on the kitchen light.

"She's eaten and drank something but now she is asking about her dad. I don't know what to tell her." I explained to Hershel. He walked over to the bar where she still sat on the stool.

"What's your name little lady?" he asked her and she told him. "Well Kasey, do you remember anything about what happened before you were brought here?" she nodded her head.

"My Mommy was bit by one of the bad people." She took a drink from the now refilled glass. "Daddy put me in the closet and told me he would be back for me."

"And did he come back for you?" Hershel asked and the little girl nodded then shook her head.

"I don't know…" she started crying again. I pulled Hershel aside and told him what she called Daryl and what she had said in the bedroom about her daddy coming for her. I explained what Daryl had told me and that her father was dead.

"We can't let her keep thinking her dad is alive. False hope is no hope." I told him and he said he would take care of it. I followed him back to the still crying little girl.

"Kasey, honey, do you know what heaven is?" he asked her.

"Uh huh its were angels live." He smiled at her knowledge of heaven.

"Sweetie your daddy and mommy are in heaven now." She looked at him like he was stupid.

"So mommy and daddy are angels now?" Hershel just nodded at her understanding. The girl started crying again. "What about Caleb? Is he in heaven to?" he must have been her brother. Hershel nodded and she started crying harder.

"Hershel, I…I can't handle this I think I going to sleep in my tent. I'm sorry." I walked out of the house with tears in my eyes. I felt bad for ditching the man with the crying girl, but I couldn't say in there and listen to the little girl cry any longer is was breaking my heart. I ducked into the tent startling Daryl who sat straight up knife in hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked with the knife still in hand.

"Nothing. I just couldn't stay in there anymore." I answered and he put the knife sown and flipped on the little battery powered lamp. "She woke up and kept asking about her dad. Hershel told her he and her brother were in heaven and she started crying. I just couldn't take it." He pulled my hand away from my chest and around his waist. I sobbed into his shirt like I was the little kid. "Daryl that little girl's heart is broken."

"I know. I could see it in her eyes when she…" he trailed off but I knew what he was talking about. "She will be okay." He assured me and let me go. He flipped off the lamp and laid down. "Try and get some sleep." He said and pulled me into the bed with him. I cuddled up to his chest, but even his warmth wasn't enough to make me fall asleep that night.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Violets Pov-**

It surprised me when Lyla went to the house to check on the little girl. She had never shown any interest in children before the world ended and I knew she was always awkward around them. The end of the world had really changed her. I waited around the fire for her to come back from checking on the little girl, because I wanted to talk to her and tell her what Merle had said, but she never came out. Things between Merle and I were slowly going back to normal. He started kissing me more often and he would even hold my hand when we sat around the fire at night. So when he convinced me to come to bed and talk to Lyla later I went with him.

He went in the tent first and lay down in the makeshift bed holding the cover up for me to slide in. I surprised him when I didn't immediately turn my back and snuggle into him like usual. I instead slid in facing him and pressed my lips to his hungrily. He was stunned at first but quickly returned the kiss. I thought I had him when I moved my lips to his collar bone and nibbled causing him to let out a moan, but then he gently pushed me away. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked looking up at him in the dim light of the battery powered lantern.

"Uh, no, but…"

"But what?" I cut him off.

"I don't know." He responded frustrated and plopped down on his back on the blankets.

"Merle, are you scared that the condom will break again? Because I'm not. I mean what are the chances that it will happen twice?" I said propping myself up on my elbow to look at him.

"I don't know Violet. Maybe we should just wait and see if yer pregnant first." He said not looking at me.

"And how would that effect what I want to do right now? If I'm already pregnant then I won't get pregnant tonight, and it you use a condom tonight I still won't get pregnant. So what does it matter huh?" his reluctance was aggravating me. He groaned and rolled over catching my mouth with his. The kiss sent sparks through my entire body making me realize it was finally going to happen again, he really did still want me.

I woke up that morning totally naked in Merle's arms and blushed when I remembered last night. Thankfully we didn't have another accident. I tried not to wake him when I untangled myself from his arms to get dressed, but he is such a light sleeper that I was unsuccessful. "Where ya going sugar?" he asked as I put my clothes back on and made a face at the pet name he called me. "What that name not ok with ya?"

"Uh no it's fine, it's just, different I guess." I said sitting down next to him to put on my socks and shoes. "I was going to go see if Carol needed help with breakfast, and you're late." I gestured to the light coming through the tent flap and he groaned plopping back down in the covers.

"I'm starting to think we are never going to find the little brat." He said leaning up on his elbows and I slapped hit chest.

"Don't call her a little brat. She is just a little lost girl, she can't help it." I said scolding him.

"Got my hopes up thinking Daryl found her yesterday." He said getting up and getting dressed. I didn't know what to say to that so I stood up and kissed him. He surprised me when he made it last longer than I intended and he smirked when he finally let me go. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I thought about last night. "See ya later sugar." He called when I turned at walked from the tent. I called later to him as I walked to the fire where Carol was sitting stirring the usual morning pot of who knows what.

"Need any help?" I asked and she shot me a mean look. "Geeze fine, don't say I never offered to help." I said turning around to head to the basket of clothes that needed to be folded and got to work. Merle left the tent and headed to where Daryl Rick and Glenn were. Our eyes met, I flashed him a shy smile and he smirked at me then continued on his way.

"Do you even really know that man?" the question came from Carol who had moved from her pot to stand in front of me.

"Uh, yeah." I answered not sure why she was asking me that.

"You know he is just using you right? He is just looking for an easy fuck." Who did this woman think she is?

"Excuse me?" I asked standing up and putting my hands on my hips.

"You heard me. He is a horrible man, he doesn't care about you and he never will. As soon as he gets tired of you he will just go searching for some other little easy piece of ass." Did that bitch just called me a whore?

"How dare you? You don't even know him." I shot back my face was getting red, I could feel it.

"Don't have to know him to know he's a piece of shit." She spat. Next thing I knew she was holding her face and a red welt was quickly rising on her cheek. "Fuckin little bitch." She hissed before her hand found my face, then it was on. There was hair pulling, slapping, scratching and even punching on my part before the men came over and pulled us off of each other. She managed to scratch my cheek and pull out a painful amount of my hair, but that was nothing compared to the black eye, missing hair, busted lip and scratches she would be sporting for a while.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Rick asked holding back a still fighting Carol while Merle held me back.

"Ask that judgmental bitch!" I hissed at him and kicked towards Carol trying to wiggle out of Merles viselike grip. "Let me go Merle!" I yelled uselessly trying to get away.

"Violet would you just calm down?" Merle asked from behind me.

"Why? So she can talk more shit about the person I love?" I yelled at him still trying to get away.

"Ha! You think he loves you? You really are a dumb whore." Carol said still trying to get at me.

"Rick, shut her up." Merle warned. "Violet stop fighting me damn it." He hissed in my ear and I stopped fighting as hard. I noticed a crowd had formed close by and my sister walked out of it and toward me.

"Vi, ya really need to work on yer temper. Merle take her to y'all's tent and keep her there please. I need to have a little chat with Carol here." Merle started pulling me back towards our tent and the fight left me.

"Merle you can stop holding me like that. I'm not going to run back there and kick her stupid ass, even though I really want to." He let go of one of my arms allowing me to walk normal instead of being pulled around like a kid, but he kept his hand tight on my upper arm. He opened the tent flap and pushed me in coming in right after.

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" he asked sitting down between me and the door. I didn't answer. "Geeze and I thought Dixons had the worst temper. Tell me what happened." He demanded.

"She said that you didn't care about me, that I was just a whore and that you would just move on when the next young easy target came around." I was staring at the floor trying to keep from getting up and beating her ass. "She called me a whore and you a piece of shit." My fists were clenching and my knuckles were turning white.

"She's wrong, ya know that right?" I nodded still looking at the floor. "I ain't ever said this to a woman before but I really do love ya." My head shot up at what he said.

"What?" I looked at him confused and he smiled.

"I think ya heard me." 'Aww he couldn't just repeat it?' I pouted in my head.

"I love you to Merle." He leaned across the tent and kissed me making me forget all about stupid Carol and the shitty things she had said. That's when we heard Shane yelling at someone.

**Talitha's Pov-**

"What in the world is going on out there?" I asked no one in particular as I got out of bed and slipped on my pants and shoes. I got out of the tent in time to see Merle and Rick drag Violet and Carol off of each other. Carol had clearly suffered the most. I couldn't help but step up to the fight; she was my sister after all. I told Violet to control herself and that I needed to talk to Carol. This had to have something to do with what happened yesterday. Rick released Carol when Violet was a safe distance away from her. Rick made her sit in the chair Violet had been sitting in folding laundry.

"Wanna tell us what that was about?" Rick asked her but she didn't say anything so he told her instead of asking and she finally answered that she was just trying to warn my sister about the inevitable. "So calling her a dumb whore is warning her?" he asked and she nodded.

"Ya called my sister a whore?" I asked getting in her face. That got me a warning look from Rick so I calmed down.

"There's walkers in the barn." I heard Glenn say from behind us and we all looked at him. "Shane is trying to break the lock off of it and kill them. Come quick." He said with a worried look on his face and we all ran to the barn to see Shane break the lock and start firing down on them. Everyone was there and as soon as Kasey saw me she attached herself to my leg and pressed her face into my thigh. Without thinking about it I picked her up and held her in my arms where she pressed her face into my shirt and cried. Daryl was in the firing line with the rest of the people from the Atlanta camp. Every one stopped shooting when Sophia walked out of the barn. I just watched as Violet ran over and threw her arms around Carol's shoulders and pulled her backwards. "Let go of me you bitch!" Carol yelled.

"Do you want to die?" I heard violet ask struggling to hold her back from her approaching dead daughter.

"Yes! Let me go!" So, violet let her go. She was almost to her snarling daughter when the shot rang out and blood exploded from Sophia's head. We all turned to see Rick with his gun still raised. Everyone walked away leaving Carol with her dead child. I brought Kasey to the house and sat her down on the couch I noticed that someone had given her a bath and clean clothes. I kneeled down in front of her.

"Kasey are ya ok?" I asked the still sniffling little girl. She nodded her head.

"It's not the first time I saw the bad people be killed." She said wiping her nose and my heart fell. This little girl's life just got turned upside down and the future wasn't looking any better. "Miss Lyla?" the little voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Don't be sad. They in heaven now." She wiped a tear off of my face that I wasn't aware had fallen.

"I know." I responded and she smiled. Only an innocent child could smile right now. She got up off the couch and walked to the window before I could stop her after everything I didn't know what would be going on out there.

"Who is that boy?" she asked looking back at me and I walked to stand beside her and look out. Carl was sitting at a table with Dale. I told her his name was Carl. "Will he play with me?" She surprised me with her question. She had just heard people getting shot and she wanted to play? I don't get kids.

"I don't know lets go see." I held my hand out to her and she grabbed it. We walked outside to the picnic table and she tapped Carl on the shoulder. He looked at her then me then back to her.

"Will you play with me?" she asked and Carl looked back at me a questioning look and I nodded. He told her he would and she climbed up onto the table. I made sure Dale didn't mind having one more kid to look after before I went to find Daryl. I found him along with Merle, Violet, George, and Greta and a couple of the others at the barn loading up walker bodies into the back of Daryl's truck. Daryl explained to me that they were burning the walkers and burring Sophia and the ones that were part of Greene family.

I started helping them load up the bodies in silence. Daryl broke the silence when we loaded up the last body. "So how's the little girl?"

"Resilient as ever. She and Carl were playing last time I saw her." I answered.

"She seams to like ya." He said pointing over my shoulder. I turned to see her headed in our direction with Carl not far behind her. "Never seen hair like that in my life." He commented and I noticed that her tight curls bounced every time she took a step.

"I told her you were busy but she wouldn't listen to me." Carl said when he got close enough to be heard. "Dale asked me to watch her." What was Dale thinking?

"It's fine Carl." I said to him and looked down that Kasey standing in front of me, but she was looking at Daryl.

"Who is he?" she asked looking back at me and pointing at Daryl. I told her his name and she looked at him funny. "I saw him before." I explained to here that he was the one that found her at the old house and she nodded her head completely understanding. "Thank you Mr. Daryl." She said looking at him.

"Welcome kid." He responded and I noticed it was in the same choppy way he talked to me when we first met. He turned around to fiddle with something in the back of the truck and she pulled a face.

"Mr. Daryl?" she looked back up at him.

"Yeah kid?" he didn't turn around to look at her.

"What's that thing?" she pointed to his back.

"Huh?" he asked turning around to give her a confused look. I leaned over and whispered in his ear to clarify what she was talking about. He pulled his crossbow off his back. "This?" she nodded suddenly getting shy. "It's called a crossbow." She just stared at if for a while.

"What's it for?" the question made Daryl nervous. So I jumped in.

"It's for getting rid of the bad people." Don't judge, I didn't know what to say.

"Like a gun?" she looked away from the bow and back at me and I nodded. "So I can't touch it right?"

"Right." Carl chimed in from behind her.

"Kasey did ya come out here for something?" I asked her and she shook her head causing her hair to slap her in the face. "Then why don't ya go play with Carl while Daryl and I work?" I asked her and she said ok and ran past Carl in the Direction of the picnic table and he ran after her. "Stay close to camp." I yelled after them and I faintly heard Carl say yes ma'am.

"Yer Good with her." Daryl said from beside me and I turned to look at him.

"I am?" he nodded like I just asked the stupidest question ever. "I've never been around kids before." He didn't say anything and we got in the truck to bring the bodies to the burning sight. T-dog, Rick, George and Glenn got in the back of the truck.

"Did ya want kids before all of this happened?" his question surprised me.

"Uh…no. I never thought I would be a good mom." I explained and looked at him he was looking at my hand on my chest and I dropped it to my lap I hadn't realized that I had been grasping for a necklace again. We got out of the truck and unloaded the bodies. No one said anything as we unloaded them and set them on fire.

Daryl didn't say anything to me until we parked the truck near the camp. I was about to get out when he spoke. "So yer thinking bout em again huh?" My hand had once again gravitated to me neck without me realizing it.

"No." I dropped my hand back to my lap.

"Oh, I just assumed ya were, cause ya do that when ya think bout em." He was looking at the steering wheel. "Ya been doin that a lot lately."

"Daryl, yer the only man I think about now." I explained scooting over in the seat to sit closer to him.

"Then why were ya doing that?" he was looking me in the eyes now so I explained to him about how it was just something I had always done when I was stressed out or worried about something. He said that he understood and kissed me before he opened his door and got out. He held his hand out for me so I scooted across the seat and out of the truck. Kasey saw me and ran over to me.

"Miss Lyla, Miss Lyla look what I did." She said excitedly jumping up and down with a piece of paper in her hand. She stopped jumping and handed it to me. It was a drawing of a turkey made out of the shape of her hand and I smiled. "Isn't it cool? Carl showed me how to do it." She said excitedly.

"That is very cool." I said and handed her back the paper. She handed it to Daryl and ran away when he took it. "I think someone likes ya." I said and laughed at him when I saw his face. He shook his head at me and walked to the fire that carol was absent from for once. He tossed some wood onto it. Everyone had despaired while Daryl and I had been talking in the truck. The only people I saw where Kasey and Carl sitting at the picnic table so I walked over to them. "Carl where did everyone go?"

"Your sister and Greta are in the house with Hershel's family, Dale is in the RV with Andrea and Carol, and my dad, Tee, George and Glenn went to get Hershel from town. I don't know where my mom and Shane are at." He added with a shrug. I leaned my head back to look at the sky. It looked to be about three thirty or four the sun would start setting soon. I didn't know where Shane and Lori were but where ever they were they were together and could take care of themselves. As for the rest of the men, I hoped they got back soon.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** sorry guys only one POV in this chapter. And a little warning, i dont know a thing about kids (i dont know if i already said that) so if Kasey acts a little mature or immature for her age i appoligise. and i appologise ahead of time it this chapter is a little lengthy of just straight up babble. and im sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. also if y'all dont like it when i put song lyrics in the story just let me know and i'll stop. Please let me know what y'all think with a review :-).

**Chapter 30**

**Talitha's Pov-**

It was around ten at night when the men finally came back with Hershel and another man named Randall. I didn't get to see the new guy, because there was a bag on his head when he arrived and they put him in the barn to keep him away from everyone. Shane and Lori still weren't back form wherever they were. Carl was starting to worry, and truth be told I was to. I had seen the way Shane had been treating Lori and Rick. I was afraid that Shane had taken Lori and ran with her, but about an hour after the men came back Lori and Shane showed up saying that she had went looking for the men. She said that she crashed the car, Shane saved her. Something about their story wasn't fitting together, but I ignored my suspicions and went with it.

I was sitting at the picnic table at camp with Carl and Kasey when Daryl came to me. "Ya comin to bed?" I looked at him then back to Kasey then back to him. "Well?"

"Yeah I'll be right there." I turned to the kids. "Ok guys its bed time." They both tried to protest. "Carl go to yer tent." I pointed to his parent's tent and he got up and left after telling Kasey goodnight. "Ya to little lady, off to the house."

"Will you walk with me?" she asked holding out her hand so I took it and walked her to the house, and to the bedroom she had been sleeping in. She kicked off her shoes and hopped up onto the bed tucking herself in. "Do you know any stories?" she asked.

"I'm sorry I don't." she looked disappointed, "But I could sing ya something if ya'd like." I suggested and a big smile spread across her little face and she nodded her head. Hmm I didn't know any lullabies, so what do I sing to a six year old kid? I guess a Disney song would be ok right? "Come stop your crying it will be alright, just take my hand, hold it tight I will protect you, From all around you, I will be here, Don't you cry, For one so small, You seem so strong, My arms will hold you, Keep you safe and warm, This bond between us, Can't be broken, I will be here, Don't you cry, 'Cause you'll be in my heart, Yes, you'll be in my heart, From this day on, Now and forever more, You'll be in my heart, No matter what they say, You'll be here in my heart, always. (1)" I wasn't even half way through the song and she was already asleep. She looked so peaceful; her eyes were closed under the rich auburn curls that were splayed across her round face.

I tiptoed to the door, slipped out of the room and went to the tent. Daryl was still awake when I ducked into the tent. "Took ya long enough." He said before he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"Well I'm sorry I kept ya waitin _Mr. Daryl_." I said mockingly and he pulled away from me. "What?" he didn't say anything he just stared at the floor. "Daryl, what did I say?"

"Nothin lets just get some sleep." He lay down on his back looking at the tent ceiling.

"No it's not nothin. Ya got something on yer mind and I wanna know what it is." he just grunted and rolled away from me. I looked around the tent thinking of what to say when my eyes landed on the picture Kasey had given him. I picked it up and looked at it. "Daryl does this have something to do with Kasey?" he rolled aver and looked at me.

"I just don't understand."

"Understand what Daryl?" I was so confused.

"Why ya took in that kid like that. Ya said it yerself that ya don't think ya would make a good mom and that ya never wanted kids." I didn't understand to look in his eyes.

"The whole group is taking her in not just me."

"Ya don't get it do ya?" he was looking at me like I was stupid and I shrugged my shoulders. "Ya are takin her in. Who was the first person she saw when she woke up and was hungry and thirsty? Ya were. Who held her when the zombies at the barn were being killed? Ya did. Who sat at that table all day playing with her and Carl while everyone else was to busy dealing with their own problems? Ya were. Who tucked her into bed? Ya did." That little girl is yers now rather ya want her to be or not." I was shocked. I didn't know what to say so I just sat there taking it all in. He was right though. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I had let that little girl get attached to me and I to her without thinking about if it was really best for both of us. Was it? I didn't know. All I knew was that if she was mine then she would eventually be Daryl's to and I didn't consider how he would feel about that.

"I'm sorry I dragged ya into this…"

"What are ya talkin about woman?"

"I know ya don't much like kids." I said looking him in the eyes.

"Its not that I don't like them, I just haven't ever been around them before, ever." He looked kinda sad and frightened at the same time. "But ya will be a good for her." He was trying to deflect the focus of the conversation off of him and back on me, I wasn't going to let it work.

"Well, I think ya will be good for her to, if ya just try." He nodded his head and swallowed hard.

"Let's just get some sleep. It's been a long hard day and I know ya have to be tired." I nodded and we laid down. I snuggled my face into Daryl's chest and wrapped my arm around his waist. I fell asleep to his light snores.

I was curled up in a shirtless Daryl's arms when I was woke up to the sound of a little voice flooding into the tent. I opened my eyes and rolled over to see Kasey curl clad face stuck inside the tent. "Miss Lyla I'm hungry." The little girl said and I told her I would be right out and to wait for me at the table. She nodded and glanced at Daryl before she left the tent.

"Told ya." I heard Daryl say from behind me and I rolled over to face him.

"She likes ya to ya know." He sighed and nodded. I got up to get dressed but he pulled me back down to him and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and filled with love.

"Guess I'll have to get used to havin a kid around." He mumbled into my hair. He sounded stressed.

"Yep but we will take it day by day, together. Besides Carl's been around for a while now ya must be used to him." He shook is head as I stood and slipped on my jeans and pulled my hair into a presentable ponytail.

"He's different, he's older, he's a boy and he's not our kid." The last part of that sentence made my stomach turn loops and I didn't know if it was the good kind or the bad kind. "What?"

"We have a kid." He laughed at me. "I mean we talked about this last night, but I just now thought about it like that." He was looking at me funny. "We're parents. Did ya ever think ya would be? Cause I didn't think I would ever be."

"Never even thought about havin kids. Never thought a woman would want to be with me long enough." He looked like he did before we got together, sad and lost.

"Well I'm still with ya and rather ya like it or not _we_ have a kid." He smirked at me for using what he said to me last night on him. "Anyway I have a hungry kid waiting on me." I walked out of the tent and to the picnic table. "Let's go kiddo." I said nodding for her to follow me to the house and she grabbed my hand as we walked. She ran up to the door and walked right in I followed her in. Maggie who was sitting on the couch eating her breakfast looked up with raised eyebrows, "Sorry bout that." I caught Kasey by the wrist and turned her to face me. "Kasey ya have to knock before ya just go barging into someone's house like that." I explained and she said yes ma'am. That was something I was going to have to get used to being called. "Mind if I get her some breakfast?" I asked Maggie and she said she didn't care to help ourselves. So I followed an eager Kasey to the kitchen to see what I could find.

Rick and Shane had attempted to bring Randall 18 miles away from the farm and let him go, but they brought him back saying he knew Maggie and therefore knew where the farm was. Both of the men returned beaten and battered so I knew they had gotten into a fight, but neither of them mentioned anything about it so neither did I. The men recruited Daryl and Merle to interrogate Randall. I couldn't handle hearing then yell at and beat the kid inside the barn so I left. Dale stopped me and told me that Shane and Rick wanted to kill the kid because we couldn't trust him to stick around if we decided to keep him in the group. He asked me to side with him and help convince the others that the boy shouldn't be killed. A part of me understood where Shane and Rick were coming from, but the more human and less harsh side of me didn't want this boy to die just because he was in the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time. So I spent the rest of that day trying to get people to agree with Dale and me. I spoke to the women and him to the men.

Lori told me she would side with her husband no matter if she thought he was right or wrong because and I quote "That's what wives are for". That was complete bull in my opinion, because a wife's job is to let her husband know how she felt and let him know when she thinks he is not doing the right thing, but I could also see why she didn't want to cause any more problems in their already screwed marriage. Andrea, bless her heart, said outright that she thought Randall needed to die because it would compromise the group if we kept him. Did she not know that this group was already broken and compromised by not only a depressed and suicidal Carol, but Crazy Shane? Oh yeah that's right I forgot that Andrea totally had eyes for Shane and couldn't see how insane he had become lately.

I walked into the bedroom of the RV and found Carol laying on one of the beds. "Hey I have a question to ask ya." She waved for me to sit on the opposite bed so I did. "The new guy, Randall, what do ya think should be done with him?" she never took her eyes off of the ceiling.

"I think your sister needs to wake up and realize that that shit hole fuck buddy of hers isn't going to stick around and take care of that baby if she has one, and I think you need to wake up and see that once Daryl gains some confidence he is going to find something better than a snooty know it all city bitch. He needs to be with me, I know how hard life had been on him. I can understand how his mind works, because he and I are the same soul." I understand now why violet kicked her stupid ass. It's a good thing I learned to control my temper, because I face was flaming and normally meant that I would be breaking her nose or worse, but I wasn't going to do that. So I stood there trying to cool down but it wasn't working all I was managing to do was turn my knuckles white from squeezing my fists to tight.

"Carol?" She finally looked at me. "Go walk into a zombie herd ya bitch." I regretted it the moment I said it but I wasn't going to take it back. I didn't wait to see the look on her face I just walked out of the RV and to mine and Daryl's tent to be alone for a while. I didn't get much time, because Dale came looking for me to see what answers I had gotten. I told him then added that he might want to check on carol. When she asked why I just told him that for reasons I didn't want to discuss that I might have told her something equal to go to hell. He nodded with a frown on his face and went to the RV. By night fall everyone stood in the living room of the house in a full on group meeting. Dale and I tried to convince everyone that we shouldn't kill him but our efforts were useless. In the end it was decided that Randall would be shot. The thought of one of our people killing a living human made me sick to me stomach so I put Kasey to bed then went to the tent. Daryl was still in the group discussion about how, when and who was going to kill Randall, so I finally got the alone time I was looking for earlier.

As I laid there all by myself with just the noise of crickets chirping in the background all the thoughts from the past days started to organize themselves in my head. Starting from the beginning, Violet might be pregnant. Ok that could pose as a challenge, but we could handle it, we have no choice but to. Lori is pregnant, it could be Shane's baby and because of that Rick was fighting with his best friend. None of that was my problem, but it is causing tension around camp and that does concern me. Yet there is nothing I can do about it. Carol had completely changed from the quiet timid woman she was when I first met her and turned into a…well a bitch, and I told her to kill herself pretty much. Or was what I told her more like go to hell? Either way she might be suicidal and what I said didn't help. There might be something I could do to help that if I wanted to. Did I? I don't know.

Hershel went MIA and has started drinking again, and his youngest daughter was in a suicidal state of shock. Both of those facts I had learned from Greta and neither of them concerned me. What did concern me was the fact that Hershel wanted us off of his farm. The only thing I could do about that was plead the case that my sister might be pregnant and Lori was pregnant and we couldn't have pregnant women on the run. Most of the group was all for killing the living and I knew for a fact that there was nothing I could do about that and it was currently making me sick to my stomach. And last but not least Daryl and I weren't seeing eye to eye on the Randall issue. Seeing as we hadn't been together for very long and usually agreed on things I didn't know how this was going to affect our relationship or if it was going to cause an argument. All I could do with that issue was wait and see.

My thought process was interrupted by a commotion outside the tent. I ran out to see Daryl and Rick headed towards the pasture so I joined in. By the time I got to the source of the noise Dale was laying on the ground writhing in pain with his stomach torn open. There was a dead walker on the ground near him. Daryl and Rick both stood near and soon Hershel arrived on the scene. He told us that there was nothing he could do to save him. Rick pulled out his gun to shoot Dale, but he couldn't pull the trigger. Daryl took the gun from him. "Sorry brother." He pulled the trigger and Dale's raspy breathing ceased. I watched as he looked at the ground and handed Rick his gun back. He stepped around Dale's lifeless form and wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me back to camp. "They will take care if him." He walked me into the tent and we both went in. He started gathering up some clothes and his bath stuff. "I'm goin to take a shower be back soon." He kissed the top of my head before he left and headed to the house.

Well, he didn't seam to be mad at me for not agreeing with him. If he didn't bring it up then neither would I. It was deadly quiet in the tent, even the crickets had stopped chirping and the silence was annoying me so laid down and started singing quietly to myself. When I get where I'm going on the far side of the sky the first thing that I'm gonna do is spread my wings and fly. I'm gonna land beside a lion and run my fingers through his mane. Or I might find out what it's like to ride a drop of rain. Yeah when I get where I'm going there'll be only happy tears. I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years. And I'll leave my heart wide open; I will love and have no fear. Yeah when I get where I'm going, don't cry for me down here (2).

"Wow, you have a nice voice there." I looked up at Shane with his head stuck into my tent. I let out an aggravated sigh.

"What do ya want Shane?" He gave me a fake offended look.

"I just came to tell you I was sorry for the way I treated you before. We haven't exactly had a chance to talk since you came back." Was he serious? I didn't care I just wanted to be left alone.

"Apology accepted now if ya don't mind I'm trying to sleep." He laughed at me.

"So you sing yourself to sleep huh?" I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. "What no judgment."

"Shane…" I said in a warning voice. "Fuck off."

"Wow someone has their panties in a twist." I sat straight up looking him in his crazy eyes while he kneeled at the entrance of my tent.

"I just watched a man die! I'm not going to be miss happy Holley right now!"

"What that stupid old man? Don't worry about him he had it coming." How dare he say that? Dale was a nice man who did nothing but watch out for the entire group.

"Fuck ya!" I spat on him. It was that or slap him and in my opinion spitting was worse.

"You little bitch!" I flinched when I saw his hand headed towards me but I opened my eyes when the impact didn't come. I opened my eyes to see the tent flap closed and heard the sound of fist against flesh. I opened the flap and saw Daryl on top of Shane beating his face in like he did Ed's at the Atlanta camp.

"Daryl stop!" I yelled and Daryl stopped hitting him but stood over him. Daryl had Shane's shirt in his fist holding Shane up to look at him.

"Ya touch another woman in this camp and I'll see to it myself that ya die." He slammed Shane onto the ground and ducked into the tent. I could see the blood from Shane's face on Daryl right hand so I grabbed a shop rag and a random bottle of water. I pored some of the water on the rag and handed it to Daryl were he sat on his side of the bed. He took it but didn't do anything with it. I sighed, took it from him, picked up his hand slowly not knowing if he was going to let me touch him when he was still so angry. He let me pick it up so I started wiping off the blood. "Think I'm startin to rub off on ya." Mmkay that was random. I looked at him funny. "I don't remember ya havin suck a potty mouth when we first met." I laughed a little.

"I didn't. But I don't think ya rubbed off on me. Actually ya couldn't pay me to say a cuss word before the world ended." I admitted and stopped cleaning his hand.

"Well ya shouldn't drop the F-bomb like ya do. It don't sound right comin from yer mouth." He frowned at me.

"Kay, sorry ill try to watch my mouth next time someone pisses me off." I laughed and he looked at me funny. "I used to consider piss a cuss word." I explained and he smiled. He looked at his knuckles and when he saw that they weren't damaged he laid down and held the covers up for me. I slid in and snuggled my face into his chest like I usually did taking in the scent of his clean body. It was a usual guy scented body wash mixed with the usual distinctive Daryl smell. "Ok, I have to ask. Are ya smellin me when ya do that?" his voice seamed a little confused and since he had turned off the lamp I couldn't see his face to tell for sure. I was pretty sure I was blushing and I hadn't realized that I had made it that obvious that I liked the way he smelled. Is that weird?

"Um… maybe." I didn't want to say yes because I didn't know what he would think.

"Well it's a yes or no question." He didn't sound annoyed, just amused maybe.

"Would ya think it was weird or creepy if I said I was?" I asked still not answering his question. He didn't say anything for a while and I was starting to worry. "Daryl?"

"Um I don't guess it's weird or creepy. Just don't understand why ya do it. Ya even do it when I'm pretty sure I smell like dirt and sweat. I remember ya even did it the first time I woke up with ya in my arms." I didn't know I made it that obvious that time either. Ok let me see if I can explain why I do that and make it make since.

"I do it because it is easier for me to remember certain moments if I have a specific scent to go with the memory. Like when I woke up in yer arms ya smelled like trees, dirt and sweat mixed with some kind of deodorant. I thought it was cool that a guy would still wear deodorant during the zombie apocalypse, and ya didn't stink just so ya know." He snorted at me and I felt my cheeks flush. "Ya always smell different but the same if that makes any since at all." I waited for him to say something but he didn't. "I knew it, I'm a weirdo." He laughed and my cheeks got hotter.

"I love ya weirdo." That caused me to snort.

"Gee thanks, I love ya to hillbilly." He laughed. "So ya do think I'm weird?" I needed to know.

"No I don't think yer weird. I think it's different, but weird? No." I let out a sigh of relief and he laughed again before he kissed me tenderly. "Let's get some sleep, its getting late." I snuggled back against him and was about to fall asleep when he asked me a question. "Just for curiosity's sake, what do I smell like tonight?" I gave him a little sniff just for show.

"Tag shower jell." I answered honestly. And he snorted amused.

"Ya were close it's Axe." I laughed and laid my head on his elbow and fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.

(1): Phil Collins-You'll Be In My Heart. From the Disney Movie Tarzan.

(2): When I Get Where I'm Going-Brad Paisley.

Thank y'all for reading and Reviewing


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Sorry guys its another one Pov chapter, but i plan on doing Daryl's Pov soon so stick with me here. I know i probably got alot of things messed up from the show in this chapter, but you have to keep in mine the butterfly effect, adding a few more people to a certain situation can make things happen differently. Enjoy and please review and let me know what ya think.

**Chapter 31**

**Talitha's Pov-**

I woke up to sunlight streaming in through the tent window. Daryl was still next to me and I nestled into him. He let out a quiet breath and pulled me closer to him. I could feel is hardness pressed into my leg and I quietly giggled. "What?" he asked in a gruff sleepy voice. I answered my kissing his chest and slowly moving my leg against him. "Are ya teasing me woman?"

"Nope." I kissed my way up to his mouth and kissed him as I helped him remove his boxers. I started kissing my way back down giving each of his nipples a little nibble. I had gotten to his belly button when Kasey's voice sounded outside the tent.

"Cock blocking little kid." I heard Daryl whisper before I glared at him playfully and pulled the covers up around him. I made sure I was fully clothed before I cracked the tent flap to look at Kasey.

"Miss Lyla, I want some toast." She had her hands tucked behind her back and was rocking back and forth.

"Ok um why don't ya go wait for me in the house? I'll be there in a minute." She nodded and said ok. I watched her as she skipped to the house and went into the front door. "Ok where were we?" I asked smirking at Daryl.

"Ya were right about here." He answered gesturing to his mid section and I got back to work.

~Some Time Later~

I was in the kitchen making Kasey some toast and she was playing twenty questions. It was mostly easy stuff like why is the sky blue and I had just answered that with "Because the sky reflects off of the water like a mirror." She sat there and thought about that one a while.

"Ok I understand." She sat at the barstool kicking her feet against the legs of it when she asked a question that threw me for a loop. "Is Mr. Daryl your husband?" I didn't want to lie to her. So I told her no. "Well is he your boyfriend?" I smiled and sat her toast in front of her. I told her Daryl was my boyfriend. "Well my mommy told me that I had to be married before you could sleep in the same bed as a man." Uh oh I was getting called out by a six year old.

"Well Kasey, I want to married Daryl, but we don't have a preacher or rings or anything it takes to get married. I love him like we are married, so it's ok." 'Ok I really suck at this stuff' I thought to myself. Kasey nodded and started working on her second piece of toast when Daryl walked in. He ruffled Kasey's hair when he walked by and I laughed.

"Mr. Daryl" she said in a whiney voice before she started laughing despite her now messy hair.

"Have ya eaten anything?" I asked Daryl and he shook his head. "Ya want me to make ya some toast?" I offered and she shook his head saying that he would find something else.

"You can have the rest of mine." Kasey offered holding out her plate to him.

"I'm not gonna eat yer food munchkin." He said as he put the glass that he had been drinking out of in the sink and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll see you ladies later. Gotta go help Rick, Shane and Merle." He tussled Kasey hair again as he headed to the door and she giggled.

"Kasey stay here and eat. I'll be back." She nodded and I ran out of the door and caught up with Daryl. "Hey I need to talk to ya real quick." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking and he turned to face me. "Ya haven't said why ya wanted this kid dead. I want to know yer reasons." His eyes darkened and he took a deep breath holding it for a couple of seconds before he let it out.

"He told me when I was questioning him that the people he was with raped a woman and her teenage daughter and made the father watch." My mouth fell open. "He didn't do anything to stop them and if he goes back to his people and leads them here they could do the same to ya or Beth or Maggie or any of the other women. I ain't gonna let that happen. The only way to keep it from happening is to get rid of him. Easiest way to do that is kill him ourselves." I closed my mouth and swallowed the lump in my throat before nodding. "Look I know ya have this thing about not killing the living, but…"

"No," I interrupted him, "Dale didn't tell me any of that, and it does seam best to kill him." He looked at me with clouded eyes. "I think we're doing the right thing." I looked past him at the three men standing next to the barn. "Do ya know where my sister is?" he shook his head and looked at Merle and asked him. Merle said that she was in their tent so I kissed Daryl on the cheek and told him I loved him before I went to Merle and Violets tent. "Knock knock Vi ya in there?" she told me I could come in so I did. "Hey how are ya? We haven't really talked much lately." She told me that she and Merle where in a good place in their relationship, and that he said that he would be there for her and the baby if she was pregnant. I have to admit that that was really good news. "So how do ya feel about this whole Randall thing?" I asked and she pretty much said she felt the same way I did. Merle had told her what Randall had said and she didn't want that around us. "Well I have to get back to Kasey. I told her I would be right back, do ya want to come with me and sit with her while the men do their thing?" I asked and she said she would. So we went to the house and Kasey was still sitting at her bar stool. We all went to the living room and started playing battle that game could go on for forever.

The clock on the wall chimed letting us know it was two o'clock. "Its past lunch time is anyone hungry?" I asked and Violet and Kasey shook their heads no. "Ok well I'm goin to go see Daryl for a minute. I'll be back." I walked out of the house and found Daryl leaning up against his truck parked beside the house. I glanced at my Honda parked not far behind it and next to Merles motorcycle. 'It's been to long' I thought to myself. "Hey how's it goin?" I asked stopping to stand in front or Daryl.

"Rick is talking to Carl right now; little punk stole my gun out of my bag." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Um when Rick gets done me and him are goin to take Randall and drop him off somewhere."

"What happened to killing him?" I asked out of curiously.

"Rick was about to shoot him and Carl walked in and almost saw. Rick couldn't do it after that and I'm not about to do it. So we figured we would take our chances in letting him go." He explained and it almost felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I was glad they didn't kill him.

"Well come see me before ya leave." I said and went back inside the house.

Hours had passed and I had just finished a game of go fish with Vi Kasey and Maggie when everyone came in the house in a frazzled rush. They were freaking out because Randall had escaped and bloodied Shane's face. They said that Rick, Shane, Daryl and Glenn were out looking for Randall. Not to long after that Daryl and Glenn came back inside with everyone else. He said that they found Randall. He had turned but he hadn't been bitten his cause of death was a broken neck. Rick and Shane were still outside talking. By the time everyone calmed down it was getting dark so I took Kasey upstairs to put her to bed. I laid her down and covered her up. She asked me to sing her the song I sang her before so I started singing. I walked the room and as I did I wandered over to the window and looked out. I was stunned at what I saw. In the light of the full moon I could make out what looked to be hundreds of walkers headed towards the house I could make out two forms in the field in front of the house one was smaller than the other so I assumed Carl had wandered off and found his dad. "Kasey stay here ok." I ran down the stairs slipping on the last two and busting my butt. Everyone looked at me funny. "Guys we have a serious problem. We have to leave the farm, now." No one moved as Daryl helped me to my feet. "There are hundreds of walkers headed this way." Still no one moved. "I'm serious we have to Move!" I yelled at them.

"Where's Carl I can't find Carl!" Lori started freaking out and I told her that I thought I saw him with Rick in the field out front. "I have to go get them!" I stopped her and told her that what she had to do was start gathering things up so we could get the hell out of here.

"Go get Kasey and meet me at my truck." Daryl told me and I ran back up the stairs to the bedroom Kasey was sound asleep and didn't wake up when I picked her up and walked back down stairs and out to Daryl's truck. He had already gathered everything from our tent and thrown it in the back of the truck I was relieved when I saw two bows and my quiver. I grabbed the quiver and slung it across my back and grabbed my bow. Greta and George were already in the truck and Merle and Vi were on the Triumph. "Put her in there with them ya and me will take yer bike and Merle and Violet will take his. The others will have to figure out their own transportation arrangements." He took Kasey from me and put her in the truck then started pushing me towards my Honda. I looked back as the barn busted into flames. Hershel was standing on his porch with a rifle in his hands. Maggie, Beth, Patricia, Jimmy, and everyone else stood on the porch with them. I heard Lori tell Jimmy to take the RV and go to the barn to rescue Rick and Carl and the boy did as he was told. The walkers were getting extremely close. Lori pulled a gun and started shooting along with Hershel. "Lyla we have to go we can't wait for them." I didn't move so he shoved me. "Let's go!" I finally turned from the scene at the house, slung my bow across my back and got on the motorcycle. Daryl sat down in front of me and I heard the three vehicles crank. I gripped Daryl's sides as we sped away from the farm and down a random dirt road.

I shivered as we rode down the highway I hadn't realized until the wind was hitting me in the face that it had started getting really cold. The wind was piercing through my long sleeved shirt and holey jeans chilling me to the bone so bad that I couldn't even think straight. All I could comprehend was that my family made it away safe. When we had gotten a safe distance away from the farm we all pulled over. "Where did all of those walkers come from?" the question came from Greta and no one had an answer. "Well where do we go? What do we do now?" she had too many questions.

"I say we go back to the highway. If any of the others made it I think they would go there." I spoke up kind of answering Greta questions. Daryl agreed so George and Greta got back in the truck. Daryl handed me his vest before he got back on the bike.

"It's not much but it will help." He explained while I put it on and got on behind him. I couldn't help but think that the angel wings on the back of the vest were a perfect symbol to describe him now more than ever. If he wouldn't have been there to make me leave the farm I would have stood there watching in shock until a walker got me. The drive to the highway was a long one. The sun had completely risen by the time we got to the abandoned car with the message for Sophia written on it. I saw the familiar people standing in a group and they turned our way when we pulled up. We all approached the group. Lori ran and hugged Greta, Violet and I was surprised when she even hugged me and smiled at Daryl and Merle. I took a tally in my head of the people. Five of them were missing and the others just hung their heads as I called off the names of the missing. Shane, Andrea, Carol, Patricia, and Jimmy. I considered it I large loss even if Shane and Carol weren't my most favorite people. Andrea was strong despite being an authority whore. I could totally tell she had a thing for Shane. Jimmy and Patricia were nice and sweet people that didn't deserve to die, but in this world I had learned that you couldn't dwell on the losses. You had to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"There is a place for us out there we just have to find it." Rick said and I guess everyone took that as his final word because people started getting back into their cars so we followed suit. We were traveling down a random county road when Hershel's SUV ran out of gas causing the caravan to come to a halt. It was about to start getting dark and there was a bit of arguing about what to do before Rick said that we would make camp down by a stone structure that looked like some kind of park of rest area. So we went there and started a fire in the middle of the structure for security. T-dog took up watch on one of the walls. Daryl went out and killed a couple of squirrels for dinner.

There was little conversation around the fire and when someone did talk it was about rather of not they should leave the group. Daryl had taken watch on one of the walls and I brought him some of the squirrel when it was done. He pulled me up onto the wall and I sat down dangling my feet off for a while before I stood up and stood nest to him. "Do ya think we should leave? We might be better off on our own just ya, me, Merle, Vi and Kasey." He shook his head and I was thankful. I didn't want to leave not knowing of Vi was Pregnant and none of our little family knew how to deliver a baby. The Vet might be able to help with that and he would be a pro after delivering Lorie's baby.

"I think we need to stick with the group, just in case, ya know." He didn't have to say anymore. I nodded my head and sat back down on the wall. I heard a noise in the distance and I jumped to my feet looking out around the wall. "Maybe I should go take a look."

"No ones going anywhere." I heard Rick say from on the ground. Everyone was freaking out. Lori told him to do something and he snapped. "I am doing something. Maybe you people are better off without me. I say there's a place for us, but maybe it's another pipe dream. Think you can do better? Let's see how far you get." Everyone was quiet. "No takers?" still no answer. "I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people for Christ sakes!" Carl looked stunned before he pressed his face into his mother's shirt and started crying. "If you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore." I looked over at Kasey who was asleep in Violets lap. I was afraid and I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"Ya ok?" Daryl had sat down next to me and I shook my head no. "Talk to me." He grabbed my hand from its place at my neck and threaded his fingers through mine.

"Daryl, I'm Scared. I'm honestly afraid for our lives. Yer's, mine, Vi, Merle, Kasey. We are all in danger. What if something happens like that again? Are we always going to be on the run from these things? And on top of all of that Rick has gone alpha leader crazy." I whispered the last part. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him I hadn't even realized I was shivering.

"I don't know, but Rick is a good man. He's a man of honor and he won't let anything happen to this group." I guess if Daryl trusted Rick I should to, but I couldn't convince myself completely. "Its late ya should go get some sleep I put our blankets in the back of the truck. Think there's four of them. Give one to Rick and Lori to keep Carl warm." I nodded and he helped me down off of the wall. I went to the truck and grabbed the blankets. I gave one to the Grimes family, one the Hershel and his girls and the last one to Vi and Merle, I couldn't have her getting sick if she turned out to be pregnant. I threw our blanket over my shoulder and went back to the truck and pulled out one of Daryl's shirts to put on Kasey so she would be good and warm. I walked over to Violet and thanked her for holding Kasey for me before I took her and slipped the shirt over her head. She woke up a little while I was putting her arms in the sleeves and asked where we were. I just told her we were camping and she went back to sleep. I spread out the large blanket on the ground, sat her on the edge of it and then laid on the ground next to her and folded the blanket around her and over me. There was enough hanging over me for Daryl to have some cover when he came to bed. I couldn't fall asleep without him next to me. Soon I felt him slide in behind me. He was freezing and I hissed in a breath when his cold hand touched mine. "Sorry." He whispered behind me. I whispered back that it was ok and started rubbing his hand between mine to warm it. He took his hand back when it was warm telling me to "Go to sleep woman." So I did.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Talitha's Pov-

We had spent the last four days scavenging and sleeping in random houses. We were always on the move never stopping unless it was to sleep. Merle, Daryl, and I were the main fresh meat providers. We went hunting in the woods near whatever house we stopped at for the night. Everyone except Kasey was getting acquainted with a certain weapon. Mine was my bow and a knife that I kept strapped to my belt and tied to my thigh. Carl still had Daryl's gun, Lori had a thin steel pipe, Maggie and Glenn both had machetes. Rick, T-dog, Hershel, Merle, George, and Greta all had assorted guns. Beth had gotten used to a metal baseball bat. Violet had her bow and a knife. I had to admit she was getting pretty good with her bow. And of course Daryl had his crossbow on his back, a gun, and a knife. I couldn't help but be proud that my man was the most heavily armed of the group.

For the moment, we're settling down in a small house that looked like it had been abandoned for a good amount of time. It only consisted of two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. I had scavenged through the bedroom and found a few useful items of clothing of which I gave to the others, because Daryl and I had been lucky enough to get our bags of clothes. The others hadn't had the time to get many of their things before they left the farm. We had a good supply of blankets and sheets from all of the houses we had been to. What we were lacking was food other than what we hunters could kill. A good diet consisted of more than just meat. Kasey surprisingly liked the wild game we cooked regardless of the lack of seasonings to put on it.

I had just finished up my portion of the squirrel meat and was walking down the hall bringing my plate to the kitchen when Rick came out of the bedroom and I bumped right into him dropping my plate. I had mainly tried to avoid him since the night after the farm, because he made me nervous, but now there was no avoiding him. I stepped back from him and picked up my plate. "Sorry 'bout that." I told him as I stood back up.

"No problem." He said blankly, stepped around me and went on his way. I continued to the end of the hall to the kitchen and sat my plate in the sink. I was the only person in the kitchen so I hopped up to sit on the bar. I couldn't have been in there for five minutes before Daryl came in and stood close in front of me.

"We need to find us a truck. It's getting to cold to be riding the motorcycles and I can't have ya getting sick." He said before he snuck in a kiss.

"Ok so we will see if we can find the keys to the one outside and see if it runs. And if it doesn't work then we will tell Rick that we need to find us one. We need one big enough for us and Merle and Vi. Do ya know if the one out front has a back seat?" His hand was at his mouth and he was biting away at his thumb nail. "What? Ya don't think Rick will let us have a truck?" he shook his head and dropped his hand so he could speak.

"Na he should let us have a truck."

"Then what's the matter? What's going on in that head of yers?" I asked.

"Merle said Violet still hasn't been visited by Mother Nature." I stayed quiet and let that sink in. "There is a town not far from here that Hershel said should have a pharmacy or at the least a store that will have a pregnancy test and vitamins. Merle is getting the ok from Rick to go there in the morning." His hand went back to his mouth when he was finished talking.

"Ok so why are ya so worried?" he shrugged.

"I know yer gonna want to go, but ya have to stay here and watch Kasey. Ya know Lori ain't gonna keep a good eye on her, and Violet is insisting that she come with us. Merle and I don't want her to go, but she is a lot like ya when it comes to telling her what to do." I laughed a little.

"I'm not going to argue. I'll stay here and take care of Kasey. Don't worry about her. As for my sister, she can handle herself and I know ya and Merle won't let anything happen to her." He dropped his hand and started picking at his palm. "Yer getting better with Kasey ya know?" his little attempts at picking with her like tussling her hair had changed over the days. He wasn't completely wrapped around her little finger but he was getting close. Just last night they had sat at the coffee table of a random house and played rock paper scissors. It was fun watching him teach her how to play and watching as everyone stared with surprised looks on their faces. All except Merle that is. It really got interesting when he added rain and bomb to the mix. It took Kasey a while to figure out that rain and scissors could beat the bomb but she eventually got the hang of it and they quit after she beat Daryl ten times in a row.

"I know, I've been trying. I've been thinking about making her a bow and teaching her how to use it. Do ya think she's old enough to use it properly?" Would this man ever stop surprising me?

"Um, I don't think she would be strong enough to pull it back. Don't kids usually get sling shots to start out with?" I asked and he nodded. "That would probably be easier to make to huh?" he nodded again with a little bit of disappointment on his face. "Ya could make her one when she gets stronger though." He gave me a little smirk and kissed my head when I leaned forward to rest it on his chest. It got quiet it the room and a sudden thought occurred to me. We had spent a good amount of time in the prison in Beaumont if there was one around here we could take it like we did that one. I propped my chin up on Daryl's chest to look at him. "Hey Daryl, I wonder if there are any prisons around here." He looked down at me knowing what I was thinking.

"I don't know. The only people that might know would be Hershel or Maggie."

"Do ya think Rick would go for it? It took a lot of convincing with the other group and it wasn't nearly as big as this one." He shrugged.

"Don't know but I think with the coming winter and the fact that we might have not one, but two pregnant women might be enough to convince him. I'll ask Hershel if there is a prison of any kind around here." It told him that I wanted to be the one to ask Hershel and suggest it to Rick. "Okay, ya can ask Hershel and talk to Rick in the morning. It's late and I'm sure curly sue is getting sleepy." I smiled at his choice of nick name for her and hoped down off the bar. We walked down the hall and to the living room where people had started choosing places to sleep. The choices were the couch, the love seat, the recliner, and the floor. Apparently there was a pull out bed in the couch, because Glenn and Maggie were curled up on it. I walked over to the love seat where Kasey sat in Violet's lap next to Merle. He had started getting a little more comfortable around Kasey, but he hadn't adjusted nearly as well or fast as Daryl was.

"Come on Kasey time for bed." I held my hand out to her. She tried to protest, but she was too sleepy from the day of running to make it affective. She reluctantly grabbed my hand and let me lead her to the second bedroom. We were lucky enough to be granted a bedroom when or if there was one available since we had a "family". Kasey had started sleeping in the same room as Daryl and me since the night after the farm. Daryl wasn't a fan of it since we never got any real alone time with her in the room, but he never protested. Kasey jumped up onto the bed and crawled to the middle. Her hair was a mess and I had been meaning to get my hands on it and work out some of the tangles, but I had never had the chance, plus I knew that I would probably just make it worse since I had no experience with curls. I went to my bag and pulled out my brush. I sat on the bed and told her to sit in front of me. "Kase, this is probably gonna hurt but ya just have to stick with me ok? I gotta get these tangles out of yer hair." She nodded and sat down sleepily.

I, with some difficulty, parted her hair into four sections. I started at the ends of her hair and worked my way up. She complained a lot and started crying before Daryl jumped in and distracted her. He started telling her stories, something I wasn't creative enough to do. He started with The Ugly Duckling, then Humpty-Dumpty and the last story he told was a sing song story that I vaguely remembered from my childhood. He was lying beside Kasey and me with his head at the foot of the bed as he told the story. "A told B and B told C, I'll meet ya at the top of tha coconut tree. Whee said D to E F G, I'll beat ya to tha top of tha coconut tree. Chicka chicka boom boom. Will there be enough room?" she listened to him, completely consumed in the story despite how sleepy she was. "Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!" He said in a whispered yell to keep from waking up the others. "Skit skat skoodle doot flip flop flee. Everybody's running to the coconut tree." She giggled at his use of non-existent words, and even I thought that it was funny. These childish words are coming from this gruff man. "Look who's coming! Its black-eyes P. Q R S and loose-tooth T. the wiggle-jiggle free. Last to come i and the sun goes down on the coconut tree… but chicka chicka boom boom look there's a full moon. A is out of bed and this is what he said, dare double dare, you can't catch me. I'll beat ya to tha top of tha coconut tree. Chicka chicka boom boom." He finished up the story with Kasey giggling at him.

"Mr. Daryl you're silly." She messed up his hair like he had done to her many times and he smirked at her.

"I may be silly but ya look silly munchkin." I had finished brushing her hair which just frizzed when I brushed it and she looked like she stuck her finger in a light socket. She jumped up and ran to the other side of the bed so she could see herself in the mirror above the dresser. "Miss Lyla what did you do to my hair?" she looked at me accusingly. And I laughed.

"I'm not done with it yet Kasey. Come sit down so I can finish." She looked at me through narrowed eyes and I narrowed mine back at her playfully. "I won't hurt ya anymore I promise." She came over and sat back down. I was rusty with braiding but I managed to get her hair into two messy French braids. By the time I was done Daryl had drifted off and was snoring lightly. Kasey could barely keep her head up. I secured the ends of the braids that rested on her shoulders with two rubber bands and patted her back gently. "Kay Kase I'm done ya can sleep now." Daryl woke up and spun around so that he was laying the right way in the bed and pulled the covers over him. Kasey waited for me to lie down next to Daryl then got under the covers and cuddled into me and turned off the lamp. I felt Daryl wrap his arm around me and kiss me on the cheek. He told us both goodnight. Not long after that the light sounds of the two people flooded the night.

I couldn't sleep. Despite what I had told Daryl about how I didn't think about Kayde anymore I had been thinking about him a lot lately. I had been thinking about him ever since I had realized that I was Kasey's mother figure and main provider. Kayde had wanted kids and I didn't. We had separated for a while because we couldn't settle the issue. It was while we were separated that he had been given orders to go to Japan and help rebuild from the tsunami. We reconnected while he was there communicating through Skype. We worked it out while he was half way around the world. While he was in Japan I went to school and became a certified nursing assistant. When he came back I moved on base with him and got sucked into the loving house wife role. I never got to use my CNA license so after two years it expired and I never renewed it.

Despite everything we had been through I still loved him. He made me happy and treated me well. I had the best clothes, my closet was a shoe addicts dream, and I had the car of my dreams. He was the best man I had ever known and he had spoiled me. All he wanted was a child and I was too selfish to give him that, to even try to be a mother. Yet here I am taking care of a kid like she is my own and with a man that I would have never been with if the world hadn't come to an end. I felt like I was betraying Kayde and I couldn't get that off my back or my mind. I loved Kayde with all my heart and yet I killed him and left him lying in the hallway of our house. I didn't even get to give him a proper burial.

Kayde wouldn't have liked Daryl. Kayde liked structure, order and authority along with an array of video games and nerdy table top games like Dungeons and Dragons. I never understood it but I went with it and didn't complain because it's what he did for fun and it made him happy. Daryl on the other hand liked hunting and didn't much care for authority or order. The thought of Daryl sitting on a couch with a video game controller in his hand yelling at the game like Kayde did made me want to laugh out loud, that is if I was in the laughing mood. Instead I took a deep breath and let it out. That was a bad move, because it was enough noise the wake Daryl. Sometimes I wished he wasn't such a light sleeper. I rolled over to face him. I could see his blue eyes looking back at me in the faint moonlight streaming in through the window.

"Yer awake." It wasn't a question and there was worry in his voice.

"Yeah, I can't sleep. Too much stuff on my mind I guess." I answered.

"Well what's on yer mind? Might help to get it all out." He suggested, but I didn't want to talk about all the things that I was feeling. I didn't want to tell him that I was thinking about Kayde.

"Na, it's just one of those nights where my mind won't shut up long enough for me to sleep." I explained in a total lie and for once he believed me. He said he was going to take over watch, but I insisted that he let me since I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. He tried to protest, but I eventually won. I grabbed my bow and arrows and went out onto the porch of the house where T-dog sat. "Hey, ya can go sleep now." I told him but he shook his head.

"I'm not sleepy you can go back to bed." Instead of going back inside I sat down next to him on the swing. "Can't sleep either huh?"

"No I have too much crap on my mind." I answered putting my elbows on my knees and propping my head up.

"Yeah I think we all have a lot on our minds lately." He said leaning back to rest him arm on the back of the porch swing.

"What's been on yers, because what's on mine is eating away at me." I asked turning my head to look at him. I thought I would judge if I could talk to him by how he answered the question. I would just talk to Vi or Greta, but I didn't want to wake them plus I had never made an effort to get to know T-Dog. He seemed like a good guy when I rode with him and Jacqui to the CDC.

"Well I've been trying to decide if Rick is sane enough to lead this group. He seems to have gone off his rocker considering that he killed Shane. I mean what happened to not killing the living?"

"I don't know. What I do know was that Shane was a bad man. He forced himself on me when he was already sleeping with his best friend's wife. I'm not saying that we don't make mistakes. God knows I've made some, but Shane seemed to like making bad choices. Who knows Rick's reason for killing Shane? He was probably just doing what he thought was best for his family. When Lori got in that car wreck back at the farm, I thought that Shane had kidnapped her or something. I was constantly living in fear of him." He was just looking at me.

"You might be right, but I'm still not gonna trust him until I know for sure." We were both quiet for a while, lost in our thoughts. I jumped when he spoke to me again. "So what's been on your mind?" I couldn't tell by his answer if I could trust him.

"Just stuff from the past. Stuff that I thought I had left behind me when I got on the motorcycle and left my house in search of help." I looked up and him to gage his reaction to my words. He just looked like any other man would in this world, worn. "Ok I would normally talk to Vi or Greta about this stuff but Vi wouldn't understand and Greta is a bit gossipy." He looked interested now. "Can I vent to ya without ya repeating any of it to Daryl?" He thought about it for a minute then nodded. "Ya promise?" She told him all the things she had been thinking and feeling about Kayde. He asked me a few questions along the way making sure he understood.

"Lyla, seems to me that you just need to leave all of that behind you. You're not betraying your late husband. From the way you talk he liked kids and wanted you to be a mother someday. Don't you think that he would be proud of you for stepping up and helping that girl when she had no one else?"

"I guess, but what would he think about me being with Daryl? Especially considering that Daryl and I got together like a week at the most after Kayde died. I feel like I just threw Kayde away like he meant nothing to me, but he meant the world to me."

"I don't doubt that, but do you love Daryl?"

"Yes…"

"Does he make you happy?"

"Yeah, very."

"Then I'm pretty sure that if Kayde loved you as much as you say he did, then he would just be happy that you're happy." He was right about everything. I had been stressing over things I couldn't change. I would always have the happy memories of Kayde as well as the bad. As for Kasey, T-Dog was right maybe Kayde would be proud of me. It was just unfortunate that he couldn't be here with me. The sun had started coming up. I couldn't believe we stayed up all night.

"I'm sorry I kept you up." I apologized to him and he waved it off. "Thanks Tee. Yer a good person to talk to."

"Thanks, anytime." He smiled at me. "So why did you not want Daryl to know any of this?"

"Daryl's a bit uh…sensitive, when it comes to the subjects of my late husband and children." He snorted.

"Daryl? Sensitive?" I put my hands on my hips and half heartily glared at him.

"Don't be mean." He put his hand up, smirked and apologized. "Guess it's time for everyone to wake up." He nodded and we stood up from the porch swing. "Hey, I meant it. Thanks for listening and not judging." He nodded.

"You're welcome and I meant it when I said you could vent to me anytime you need it." I nodded and smiled at him as I held out my hand for a hand shake. "Are you kidding? I hug my friends." He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight totally guy friend like hug. You know, the kind where they squeeze you to tight and hurt your boobs.

I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. T-dog released me and I turned around to see Daryl standing in the doorway of the house. He was glaring at T-Dog as he walked toward me. T-Dog ducked his head, walked cautiously past Daryl and into the house shutting the door gently behind him. "What was that all about?" he asked now glaring at me. I backed away from him and hopped onto the worn Railing of the porch.

"Was just a hug." I said shrugging my shoulders. He turned and walked to stand in front of me. His eyes were locked onto mine.

"A hug?" he said in his gruff voice.

"Yeah, Daryl, a hug. Friends do that sometimes ya know." I didn't mean to be such a smart ass about it but I didn't understand why he was acting like that about a simple hug. He backed away from me and walked off the porch pulling his bow off of his back as he walked towards the woods. "Where are ya goin?" I asked running after him.

"Out." Was his only answer and the weird tone of his voice made me stop following him. I walked back to the porch and sat down on the swing to wait for him.

A/N: As always please review and tell me what ya think. After all reviews are rewards. unless they are bad but those are welcomed to.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** I finally did a Daryl Pov lol. I'm so excited to be 9 reviews short of having 100, and I have 31 followers! Never thought when I started this that i would have that good of a response. I totaly thought this would be a flop and that I would never get past the first chapter. I wanna send a big thanks to all of ya. Enjoy the story and please let me know what ya think. :-)

**Chapter 33**

**Daryl's Pov-  
**I shot a lone walker as he wondered under the tree I was in and he fell to the ground with a thud. That was just another arrow I was going to have to retrieve when I climbed down. There were two more in rabbits I had shot and another was holding a squirrel to the trunk of the tree across from me. I hadn't intended to actually hunt when I came out here, but things scurry by when you're sitting quietly in tree thinking.

I had heard most of Lyla and T-Dogs conversation and it was puzzling me. She had said that she couldn't sleep because her mind was to busy, but now I knew that while she was lying next to me she was thinking about him. She had lied to me. I never thought that she would do something like that. It wasn't the first time I had listened in on one of her conversations, but the first time I did it I heard her tell Kasey that she wanted to marry me. I felt then that she truly did love me, but now? Now I just didn't know. How could she want to marry me when _he_ was still stuck in her head? I never knew the guy, but I didn't like him. Even though he was dead he still had his controlling hooks in her. I had lost track of time out in the woods and didn't realized that I had actually been sitting in the tree for about an hour. I climbed down and gathered my arrows and my kill, except the walker of coarse, then headed back to the house. Lyla was still sitting on the porch where I had left her. I wasn't good at all this talking shit but I guess I needed to give it a try.

I walked over to the swing and sat down next to her. She stayed quiet and I noticed that she looked like she was about to cry. "I wasn't asking about the hug." She looked at me her browns furrowed with confusion. "I heard ya talking to T-dog."

"Oh…" she looked down at her feet and her hand went back to her neck. She noticed my gaze and dropped her hand. So she did do that when she was thinking about him.

"Ya lied to me." I didn't say it angrily, like I intended to. She gave me that confused look again. "When ya said that I was the only man ya thought about anymore and when ya said that ya only look for the necklace because yer worried." I still didn't sound as angry as I wanted to. I guess I was just too confused and hurt to be angry. She let out a big sigh and rested her face in her hands before she lifted her head up and ran her fingers through her hair getting it out of her face. She looked at me with watery eyes.

"I didn't mean lie to ya I meant what I said when I said it, but every since I realized that I was Kasey's mother figure I have felt like I was betraying Kayde. Like I was shooting the finger at him and saying 'F ya, I'm living the life ya wanted with another man.'" I just stared at her. "After I talked to Tee I realized that I was wrong, and I'm not doing ya right by worrying about the past or what Kayde would have thought about ya. What he would think doesn't matter. The only thing that matters now is that I love ya and I'm growing to love that little girl." I was quiet as moved her eyes from me to the ground. "I just hope I haven't made ya hate me." I was quiet while I thought about what she had said.

"I don't hate ya." She looked back at me probably expecting me to say more, but that was all I knew for sure at that point. I stood up off of the swing and looked at her, her eyes still looked watery. I bit my lip as I turned away from her and went into the house. Everyone was awake. I handed the animals to Rick who had learned how to skin and clean them over the past few days then headed toward my brother. "Y'all ready?" I asked rushing them threw their shared can of food. Violet handed the can to Lori who was sitting in the chair not far away from her. I followed them out to the truck Rick and his family had been using and climbed into the back seat. I was in no mood to drive. Violet navigated the way to the town by directions written out by Hershel. It didn't take long to get there. I took in the place as we drove through. The town was small consisting of a bank, a small school, a couple of gas stations, a pharmacy (thank god), and a dollar store, but what I noticed the most was the jewelry store near the end of the town.

We turned around once we saw what the town consisted of and stopped in front of the Pharmacy. I was feeling a bit awkward as we headed into the Pharmacy considering what we had came in here for. I told Violet and Merle that I would be back as I left the pharmacy and headed the four blocks to the jewelry store. I tried the door and was surprised when I was unlocked. I walked in and it looked like your typical small town jewelry store. There were five glass cases showcasing the merchandise, none of which had been touched. Funny how money, gold and diamonds became worthless when the dead started to rise. I knew what I was looking for but I didn't know why I was looking for it. I picked up the keys to the cases they were sitting in plain sight near the cash register.

I scanned the necklaces in it to see if I could find one that I thought Lyla would like. One caught my eye. It was angel wings that slightly resembled the wings on my vest. I remember Lyla telling me that I was her angel, so this seamed to be the right choice. I unlocked the case and wiped my hands on my pants before I pulled it out and put it in one of the boxes. I continued looking around the store incase I over looked something better and I came to the cases with rings in it. There were several his and hers wedding rings. These brought back the conversation she and Kasey had. I found my self wondering if I wanted to ask her to be my wife. She was still thinking about her husband but all I could think about was her. I took out the boxes holding the rings and set them on top of the case. I found one that fit my finger and then used my best judgment to find one that I thought would fit her finger. I put them in another box and shoved the two boxes into my pocket. I left the store and headed back to the pharmacy. I got to the entrance just as Merle and Violet were leaving.

"Y'all find whatcha need?" I asked and they both nodded. Violet held up a plastic shopping bag filled with stuff. "We need to see if any of these other stores have anything left." We spent a good while gathering supplies from the dollar store, and the gas stations. We killed a good amount of walkers through out the process. I thought about Lyla all the way back to the house. I didn't know what I was going to say to her or even if I was going to talk to her at all. Did she mean it when she said that the only thing that mattered was that she loved me? Was she really over her dead husband? Did she think I was good enough for her? All these questions and more were running through me head and before I knew it we were at the house. Rick and Hershel were standing in front of a car leaning over the map. I walked over to join them. "What's up?" they looked at me like I was stupid. "Lyla talked to ya." I didn't say it like a question. He nodded.

"The idea of a prison for safety is crazy as hell." He said running his hand through his hair and looking around at the others gathering things up and packing them into the vehicles before looking back at me. "But, it's a good one." I didn't have to ask if the rest of the group was up for it. Everyone did what Rick said now days. Even if what he wanted us to do was completely crazy, but he had done alright by me so far. I saw Lyla watching me out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored her. I also noticed that Violet and Merle were nowhere to be seen. Hershel told us where the old prison was. We finished up mapping out the prison and from the looks of the map it would be a good trip there. By that time everything was packed away. I was loading Merle's motorcycle into the back of the red Chevy Silverado that Lyla had found the keys to when Merle came over.

"What's the diagnosis?" I asked trying not to sound like a jerk. He looked down at the ground and I knew what was coming. He looked back up at me then said that Violet wasn't pregnant. Ok that wasn't what I thought he was going to say. "Yer serious?" I asked completely surprised.

"Yeah that's what the test said, but Hershel told her that if something didn't happen in another week to take another test, the first one could have been wrong." I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. "Now wanna tell me what's goin on with ya and Lyla?" he asked giving me the look he gets when he is sure I have done something wrong.

"Nope." He raised his eyebrows at me and I growled. "Fine, I overheard her talking to T-Dog last night." He gave me a look that said "and…" so I continued." She was talking about her dead husband and how he would feel about her being with me and raising a kid when she never wanted kids." He was still just staring at me waiting for me to continue. "She said that she was over it since she talked it out with T-Dog, but I don't know. She had told me before that she didn't think about him anymore, she lied to me. Am I supposed to just let that go?" Ugh I was asking my brother for relationship advice.

"Daryl just get over it. Ya love her and she loves ya back. That's all that matters don't ya think? She is still here and I'm pretty sure that nothing is going to happen to her, but ya don't have time to be wastin on fightin these days." Jeeze, you know the world has come to an end when Merle starts making since. I nodded and walked around to the back passenger door to slide into the back seat. Lyla sat on the other side of the seat and her eyes locked with mine when I looked her way. I gave her a tight lipped smile before I turned my head to look out the window.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I was surprised when Rick took my suggestion of moving into a prison. He was a little skeptical, but said that we would just make the final decision when we saw what kind of condition it was in. From the way Hershel spoke it was old, still in good enough condition to house prisoners. Rick agreed that it was all we had unless we wanted to keep going from house to house.

Currently we were still on the road to the prison and had been riding for about two hours. Daryl was ignoring me and neither Merle nor violet missed that fact. Kasey on the other hand didn't have a clue of what was going on from where she sat in the front with Merle and Violet. They had tried to ease the tension in the truck, but nothing worked so far. "Hey Lyla why don't ya sing us something? It's too quiet in here." Merle suggested looking at me in the rear view mirror.

"There's CD's in that case up there if ya want some music." I said pointing to the visor on the passenger side of the truck.

"Aww come on Miss Lyla I like your voice." Kasey said turning in her seat to look at me. I politely told her no and to sit down and buckle up. Violet looked through the case and chose Carrie Underwood. Cowboy Casanova flooded through the speakers and I resisted the urge to glare at Violet. She knew that she was one of my favorite country singers and that I wasn't in the mood. The longer I sat in the truck listening to Vi sing along to the songs, Kasey complaining that she wanted to listen to the Hanna Montana CD and dealing with the awkwardness that was between Daryl and I made me want to open the door and jump out. I didn't do that of course, instead I let out a sigh mixed with a growl and leaned my head against the back of the head rest of the seat in front of me. It was hard to do with the music blaring in the truck, but eventually I drifted off into a deep sleep.

~TWD~~TWD~~ TWD~~ TWD~~ TWD~~ TWD~~ TWD~~TWD~~ TWD~~ TWD~

I woke up in a dim room on a metal frame bunk bed that was attached to the wall. I stood up and that's when I noticed where I was, a prison. There was a toilet a sink and a mirror in the cell. Mine, Daryl and Kasey's bags were sitting in the corner. I walked out of the cell to find them. I froze when I got to the closed cell door. My knees became weak. My hands sliding down the bars of the cell as I collapsed on the floor. Dead bodies scattered the floor of the main room.

Daryl's mangled and bloody body was on the floor in front of me. Hot tears stung my eyes and rolled down my face. Kasey's small frame lying next to him would have been unrecognizable it not for the bloody brown curls sprawled across the floor above her head. I felt a sharp pain shoot through my chest as I looked at them making my heart literally feel like it was breaking. I screamed not being able to cease the pain or reach the bodies in front of me. I leaned my head against the bars sobbing uncontrollably for what seamed like hours. I looked up having heard something stir in the main room. I back away quickly from the bars as Kasey's walker form reached in trying to get at me. I just stared at her. The sweet pretty little girl was now just a soulless monster that wanted nothing but to rip me apart. My eyes only left her to see Daryl slowly get up and join her at the bars reaching his arms through. I walked to the door just out of arms reach and looked through.

I watched as one by one the bodies of all the people I knew and loved got up and joined Daryl and Kasey at my cell. Violet and Merle being at the front of the group reaching and snapping their teeth at me. The building was filled with the sound of snarls and growls as I paced the front of the cell staying just out of their reach. My heart was pounding along with my head and the tears never stopped streaming down my face and onto my tear soaked shirt. I stopped pacing in front of Daryl studying his re-animated face. His eyes were no longer the beautiful icy steel blue, but were now an ugly blood spotted milky white. His dirty blond hair was messy and stuck together in clumps because of the blood that coated it. His eyes glared at me and the pain in my chest intensified. I grabbed his hand that was still reaching out for me and let him pull me to him. I wrapped my arms around his torn bloody gut covered waist. I tried not to scream when I felt his teeth sink into my neck but I failed when he took a second bite. Soon the pain faded and my world went black.

~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~TWD~~

**Daryl's Pov-  
**I wanted so bad to take Lyla's seat belt off of her and lay her head in my lap for her to sleep. The position her head had taken on the head rest as she moved in her sleep didn't look comfortable, but with things being as awkward as they were between us I didn't know how she would react to that. I watched her as she slept she looked peaceful then all of a sudden her hands gripped the seat and she pressed her head hard into the head rest. She screamed startling everyone in the car. Merle turned to take a quick look at her before looking back to the road. I took off my seat belt and scooted over undoing hers, pealing her hand off of the seat and laying her head on my lap. She was crying in her sleep. Memories of her from the prison in Texas came to my mind. I wiped the tears with the sleeve of my shirt, but they just kept coming so I pulled the sleeves over both of my hands and placed them on each side of her head below the corners of her eyes to catch them as they fell. "Mr. Daryl she's crying." Kasey said in a scared voice. She was standing in the seat and looking over the console that flipped up to make a middle seat in the front.

"I know, but she will be ok. It's just a bad dream." I told her trying to sound reassuring. I shook Lyla's shoulder and said her name, she didn't move.

"Well can't you wake her up?" She asked still leaning over the console.

"I tried It didn't work." I answered and she wore a worried pout on her face as she looked at Lyla. "She'll be ok munchkin, just sit down and put yer seat belt back on." She didn't do as I told her she just kept staring at Lyla. "Hey, look at me," he little eyes met mine. "I've got her, she will be ok. Now do what I said." I told her in a stern but gentle voice. She let out a defeated sigh as she spun around and sat down. I heard the click of the seat belt in the now silent truck. Tears were still coming out of Lyla's eyes and my sleeves were soaked with them. I rummaged through her bag until I found her only remaining wash rag from the many we had taken from the hotels, all the ones we had taken from the houses were in one of the other cars. I replaced my sleeves with it and my shop rag.

She laid there crying for what seamed like forever before she sat straight up in the seat and let out a heart wrenching scream. Merle swerved from the surprise of the sudden sound and she fell back down in my lap. Her body was trembling with hard sobs. I could hear Violet urging Kasey to stay seated. Lyla's body eventually stopped shaking and she woke up. She scurried as far away from me as she could get pressing her back against the door. Her knees where bent in the seat in front of her and she wrapped her arms around them hugging herself. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was shallow and quick from fear.

Here eyes darted around before they locked onto mine and she relaxed before flinging herself into my arms. I caught her and held her tight as she cried into my shoulder. She eventually stopped crying. She moved her arms from around my neck to around my waist and propped her chin up on my shoulder. "I'm sorry" she whispered in my ear before she pulled away looking at me. There was still fear in her eyes. I placed my hand in hers and her fingers laced into mine. I gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What are ya sorry for?" She looked down at our joined hands then back up to me.

"Everything." Her voice cracked when she said it and I pulled her into me.

"It's fine. I forgive ya, for everything." I whispered into her ear before I released her.

"Here, lay back down and get some sleep." I patted my leg and she laid her head back in my lap and pulled her feet back onto the seat. When she was settled she grabbed my hand and threaded her fingers with mine. I was curious as to what she had dreamed about but judging by her reaction when she woke up it was really bad. If it was bad I didn't want her to say anything with Kasey within earshot.

**Talitha's Pov-**

The second time I woke up with my head in Daryl's lap was much better than the first. I opened my eyes to see his face above mine. A small smirk stretched across is thin lips. I smiled back at him before I yawned, sat up, stretched my arms and flexed my back. I was still a little embarrassed about how I reacted when I woke up earlier. "How long have I been asleep?" I asked in a raspy voice.

"Total? Or are ya meanin after yer little freak out?" Merle asked with a smirk as he looked at me in the rear view mirror.

"Okay let me rephrase the question. How much longer till we get there?" I asked feeling my face flush. I noticed Kasey leaning on Merle as she slept. Her little hand was resting on his side next to her face and I smiled. "Ladies man much?" I added and I heard Daryl chuckle.

"Shut up." He said a bit snappy and I laughed at him. That was payback for him mentioning my freak out earlier. "Think we should be getting there any time now." About that time we turned onto a gravel road. We crossed a bridge that was over what I could only describe as a giant moat. Not long after that the prison came into view. The place looked huge. It defiantly made the prison back in Texas look like a play ground. There were two guard towers that I could see and two separate yards that I could make out. Walkers were scattered across both of them and a few were around the outside of the tall fences that surrounded the prison.

"This is going to me fun." Violet said sarcastically as Merle pulled the truck to a stop.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: **Ok guys there is another song in this chapter please let me know if you guys dont like it when i do that. also i changed two lines two lines in to song the original ones are "You ran into the building to get out of the rain cuz you were soaking wet. and as i held the door you wanted to know my name." so yeah anyways on to the story.

**Chapter 34**

**Talitha's Pov-**

"I don't know if I can do this." I was talking to Daryl in a hushed voice. I was twirling my hair around my finger to compensate for the lack of a necklace. Visions of my dream flashed through my head and my eyes stung with tears that I refused to let fall. I kept trying to convince myself that it was just a dream and that we could clear this place like we did the other one, but it wasn't stopping the nervous rolling of my stomach. Daryl put his hands on my shoulders.

"What are ya talkin bout? Ya did it before." I just stared at him and he dropped his hands back to his sides. "What did ya dream about anyways?" he looked at me with a mix of worry and curiosity. I looked around to make sure that Kasey was not to close by and I saw her talking to Carl. I noticed Daryl did the same before he looked back at me.

"I dreamed about this place, this prison. I woke up in one of the cells to find that everyone was dead. Ya and Kasey were…" I trailed off when I felt one of the tears I was holding back fall. Daryl beat me to wiping it away.

"Look at me, nothing can kill a Dixon but a Dixon, remember?" I looked into his eyes and I felt a little better. "I ain't gonna let anything happen to us." I nodded. He kissed my head and I smiled up at him. "Now let's kick some walker ass." He handed me my bow and quiver that I didn't notice that he was holding until then. I took it and slung the quiver over my back. "Ya might need this just in case ya run out of arrows. There ain't much ammo left so use yer head." He handed me a gun and slipped the extra ammo into my pocket. I slipped the gun into the waistband of my pants and Daryl put his and on the small of my back as we walked to the others.

I felt a tug on my shirt and I looked down at Kasey. She waved her hand for me to bend down to her so I squatted down in front of her. She threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me before she let go. "Miss Lyla are you better now? You scare me when you cry." Her big ocean blue eyes were filled with concern and I assured her that I was fine. "Mr. Rick said that I have to stay here with Mrs. Lori and Carl." She said with a little pout. I told her that Rick was right and that I would be back for her when the prison was safe. She pouted again but ran over to the truck that Lori and Carl were in. I didn't like the idea of her watching Kasey, but it made since for her to stay behind and watch them. She needed to stay out of harms way just as much as the kids did.

Rick cut a hole in the fence with bolt cutters and we all slipped in. I noticed the guard tower to my left. Glenn finished up closing the hole with some kind of cord as a walker slammed into it. I looked back at the truck parked a ways away from where we were to make sure the kids were okay. There didn't seem to be any trouble. We all ran down the gravel road between two tall hurricane fences leaving the guard tower behind us. Walkers on both sides took notice of us and started pressing them selves against the fence snarling hungrily. We ran until we came to a gate and Daryl opened it. It led to another fenced in area with a guard tower and two more sliding gate that were designed to let cars in. there was an over turned bus on the other side of the gate that led to the yard. "It's perfect." Rick said looking over the yard. "Lyla you're a genius." He had a grin on his face. I hadn't seen his smile since we were on the farm. He patted me on the back before he flew into leader mode again. I gripped Daryl's upper arm with the hand that wasn't holing my bow as Rick spoke. "We can shut that gate; prevent more from filling the yard. We can pick off these walkers and take the field by tonight." He pointed to a gate across the yard. Yet another guard tower sat along the gravel road that went through the gate and to the prison building.

Hershel asked how we were supposed to shut the gate. Glenn volunteered saying that he was the fastest, but Maggie shot him down saying it was a suicide run. Rick walked over to the couple. "You, Maggie, Beth, and Violet draw as many as you can over there. Pop them through the fence." He turned from them to Daryl and me. "Daryl, go back to the other tower. Lyla you've become a pretty good shot with a gun. Take your time we don't have a lot of ammo to waist. Go with him." He turned away from me. "Hershel, you Greta and George take this tower." He glanced around as everyone started running to our posts. "I'll run for the gate." I already had my back to him when he said it, but he sounded nervous about his role in the plan. I couldn't say I blamed him. I would be nervous to if I had to run into the danger zone surrounded my walkers and people with guns.

When we all got to where we needed to be T-Dog opened the gate to the yard and Rick ran in. I shot at the zombies that were in his path, but my nerves were getting the best of me today causing me to miss a few. One of Daryl's wooden arrows few into the head of a walker in front of Rick and he looked up at Daryl his face showing his gratitude. Rick ran a few more steps and I let a fiberglass arrow fly. It was intended to hit a walker that was closer to us than Rick, but it missed and almost hit Rick in the foot. He skidded to a halt looking at the arrow then back at me giving me a look that was the direct opposite of the one he had given Daryl just seconds ago. He knew Daryl didn't use that kind of arrow.

Rick shut the gate after kicking a walker out of the way and chained it shut with a few clips and a chain then ran to the guard tower. I looked over at Daryl and breath out a sigh of relief. He smirked at me before he looked back out over the yard and yelled "Light it up!" With Rick now out of harms way we cleared the yard. Rick took down the last walker with his shot gun. Daryl looked at me with a smirk and we exited the guard tower. "Go get the others I'll wait for you here." He took out the walkers that were surrounding the chink in the fence and undid the cord. I slipped through and ran to the truck taking out the few walkers that were in the path. I got to the truck and knocked on the window. Lori jumped and turned around to face the window. She opened the door and stepped out with a worried look on her face.

"He's fine, we all are." I assured her then opened the back door. "Come on kids." Kasey jumped into my arms and I carried her to the gate. I put her down and she ran through the hole in the fence. She attached herself to Daryl's legs before he picked her up and sat her on his shoulders. I laughed along with her, but I stopped laughing when he cut his eyes over at me giving me a look that told me to shut up. So I settled with a smile there's no way I could stop smiling considering the triumph of the day.

The others were already moving bodies into a pile to be burnt when we got back to the yard. Daryl set Kasey down, she and Carl instantly ran off in a game of tag. Daryl and I jumped in and started helping, retrieving our arrows as we went. We finished piling the bodies up and Daryl and Merle went out hunting. I helped Lori build a fire so that we could cook what ever the men brought back over the coals. "Hey I have an idea." Lori said as we both stood up and I asked her what it was. "There is a fan in the back of the truck Rick and I were driving. Since we don't have electricity anymore we could take it apart and use the cage that covers the blades as a grill." Every one stared at her before we all said that it was a good idea. T-Dog volunteered to get it.

Later we all sat around the fire eating rabbit that the guys brought back from their hunt. Rick walked the fence while Daryl held guard on the overturned bus. I sat around eating my portion while we all talked somewhat happily for the first time in days. "Mmm just like mom used to make." Glenn said a bit tiredly before throwing a bone out into the yard. T-dog started talking about how if we could keep the walkers away from the water we could dig a canal under the fence and have a supply of fresh water. Hershel backed that up by saying that the soil was good and we could plant some seeds. He said he had tomato, cucumber and soybean seeds. I chimed in that I always loved fresh tomatoes from my dad's garden and that I knew how to can stuff like that. Hershel smiled at me and I felt a little pride in myself for paying attention to my mother when she would stand over the stove stirring the big metal pot of tomatoes. The house would smell like them for days after she was done, but I didn't mind I loved the smell. The only bad thing about canning stuff was the annoying ting of the lids when they would seal.

"That's his third time around." Hershel pointed to Rick still walking the perimeter. "If there was any part of it compromised he'd have found it my now. Beth noticed Lori's nervousness and attempted to change the subject.

"This will be a good place to have the baby," Lori looked at her. "It's safe." She half smiled at the young girl. I noticed that Daryl hadn't come to get anything to eat so I refilled my bowl. I made my way to the bus and around to where the wheels and underside were showing. I lifted the bowl up and Daryl took it eating the meat with his fingers. I put my right foot on the tire to climb up, but it slipped and I landed on it unnaturally and yelped as pain shot through my ankle.

"Ya alright?" he asked leaning over the edge of the bus looking at me with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine just give me a hand up will ya?" I asked putting my good foot more securely on the tire more pain shot through my ankle when I put weight on it. I held my hand out to him. He pulled me easily up onto the side of bus and I sat down. He sat down in front of me and I extended my right leg out to the side of him. I watched him quietly as he tilted his head back to drop the meat in his mouth. He looked back at me as he chewed and smirked. I noticed that my Ariat fatbaby boot felt like it was getting tired tighter on my foot so I pulled it back to me and tried to take it off. It wouldn't budge. "Shit." I said releasing a breath while still tugging on my boot.

"What's a matter?" he stopped eating, set his food aside and studied me.

"I twisted my ankle a while ago." I was still tugging at my boot. "I think my foot is swellin I can't get my boot off." My foot was starting to hurt even worse as it grew inside the boot. He got up and held out his hand and I took it. He pulled me up then jumped off of the bus. "What are ya doin?" I asked hopping over to the edge.

"Come here. We hafta get ya to Hershel." I let out a sigh. "He held out his hands to me and I sat back down on the edge of the bus. I placed my hands on his shoulders and slid off. He caught me around the waist before my foot could touch the ground and carried me bridal style to the fire. I could hear Maggie and Beth finish up singing a pretty song I didn't know when we neared. Every one turned their attention away from the girls and on me. Ugh did Daryl have to make such a scene about it. It was probably just a sprang, nothing to worry about.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Hershel asked eyeing me in Daryl's arms. Daryl answered saying that there was something wrong with my ankle.

"I slipped trying to get onto the bus and landed on it wrong, now I can't get my boot off." I elaborated as Daryl set me on the ground in front of where Hershel sat. Hershel pulled my foot up into his lap and pressed around on the dry leather of the boot.

"I don't think it's broken but we will have to get that boot off to make sure." I asked how he was going to get the boot off. "Our only option is to cut it off."

"What! No this is my only pair of shoes. What am I goin to wear if ya cut mine up?" I felt stupid for freaking out over my shoes like some teenager but in this world good pair of shoes was hard to find. Beth asked me what size I wore and she said Maggie wore the same size. Maggie chimed in that she had found a pair of converse at one of the houses and that I could have them. I nodded graciously to her as she dug through her bag and handed them to me where I sat. There were hot pink with neon green laces. 'Not my style, but they will work' I thought. I felt the cold if a knife slip tightly and carefully between my skin and the top of the boot and slowly saw away at the leather.

I held the boot in my hand examining it while Hershel poked around on my foot. Hershel cut a single line down the side of my boot all the way to the sole. I was mad that I had lost a comfortable pair of boots but the relief that having it cut off my foot brought totally made it worth it. "It's just a sprang, but you should stay off of it. At least until the swelling goes down. It's a good thing its cold out, it will help the swelling since we don't exactly have ice anymore." I told Hershel thanks before Daryl helped me to the other side of the fire to sit between Beth and Lori. He kissed me on the top of my head before he went back to finish eating his food and take watch on top of the bus. Beth smiled at me when she saw him show affection to me.

"So what were y'all singin earlier?" I asked her before she could say anything about Daryl and me. She told me the name of the song was parting glass. I didn't recognize it. Merle suggested that I show off my voice as well, but I said no. I didn't want to be the center of attention any more and I certainly didn't want the girls to fell like I was trying to one up them or something. I didn't think that I was a better singer than Beth. That girl had some sweet pipes on her. Merle kept asking and Kasey jumped into my lap.

"Come on Miss Lyla. I want to heat you sing." She was giving me her pouting face again and I was finding it harder and harder to resist it.

"Please sing. It's all she ever talks about and I want to hear." Carl said sitting in-between Lori and Rick. So I told them that if they could come up with a song for me to sing that I would do it. Hershel and Beth both kept suggesting gospel songs that I didn't know. Glenn and Maggie both kept suggesting Rap type songs that I could never remember the lyrics to and Violet kept suggesting Carrie Underwood songs that I just didn't feel like singing at the moment. The rest of them just remained quiet. Finally T-Dog surprised us all by suggesting a song from the movie Country Strong called Timing is Everything. No one said anything to him knowing a country song even though he looked like your typical African American man.

"When the stars light up and ya catch a good break. People think yer lucky, but ya know its grace. It can happen so fast, or a little bit late. Timing is everything. Ya know I've had close calls when it could have been me. I was young when I learned just how fragile life could be. I've lost friends of mine." My voice cracked because that part of the song made me think of my brother and Dale. "I guess it wasn't my time. Timing is everything. I could have been a child that got took home, and I would have been one more unfinished song. And when it seems a rhyme is hard to find that's when one comes along, just in time." I watched Daryl as he sat down nest to his brother. The song was depressing me more than I though it would so I figured I would mess with the song and see if I could get a laugh out of them "**Well I remember that day when our eyes first met. You stepped onto the asphalt and pointed yer bow right at my head**." I smirked at Daryl as I sang and he glared at me as people laughed. "**And as I followed you back, I studied yer wings**." I saw him look over his shoulder at the wings on the back of his vest. "Timing is everything. I could have been another minute late, and you never would have crossed my path that day. And when it seems true love is hard to find that's when love comes along, just in time. Well you can call it fate or destiny. Sometimes it really seems like it's a mystery. Cuz you can be hurt by love or healed by the same. Timing is everything. And I can happen so fast of a little bit late. Timing is everything."

I smiled as everyone clapped and Kasey got out of my lap to lay on the remainder of the blanket I was sitting on. Lori nudged me with her elbow and she nodded to Daryl when I looked at her. I looked at where he was sitting but he was gone. I saw him throw something as he walked off and stopped when he got to the fence. I groaned and covered my face with me hands. "I just can't do anything right anymore can I?" I asked and she shrugged. I struggled to get up and T-Dog came to my side and helped me up. "Uh, can ya help me to Daryl?" he nodded put his arm around my waist and I put my arm on his shoulder. He helped me hobble my way over to Daryl, I grabbed the fence to keep my balance and he left. Daryl looked at me before he turned and started to walk away. "Hey, I didn't hop all the way over here for ya to leave me." I said hopping after him, he was still walking away. "Daryl come back please."

He stopped and turned to face me. "Why so ya can make fun of me some more?"

"I wasn…" he cut me off.

"First I find out that yer thinking about another man when you're lying next to me. Now ya make me look like a dumb ass in front of the entire group. What are ya gonna do next? Tell me ya have a thing fer that nigger?" if he was anyone else I probably would have punched him, but I couldn't do that. I was squeezing my fist so hard that my fingernails cut into my palm.

"I told ya I was sorry for that. I told ya that he is behind me now. Ya are the only man I've thought about since I talked to that _nigger_." We were glaring at each other and I spat the word out like it was venom. "He is my friend, and that's all" he opened his mouth to say something but I started talking before he could. "I wasn't trying to make a fool of ya. I was trying to show ya that I love ya and that I will always remember that ya saved me." He had walked closer to me. Having to put all my weight on my left leg was killing me so I leaded against the fence and slid down. Daryl stayed standing where he was, about five or so feet away from my left side. "Ya don't believe me do ya? Ya don't believe that I have left him in my past."

He was quiet for a while, and then he let out an aggravated breath. "I don't know. It still feels like he has his hooks in ya." He started pacing back and forth in front of me and I could tell he was thinking really hard. I sat there and did some thinking of my own. What he said about Kayde's hooks still being in me brought back everything Leon and Violet had said to me when I decided to marry him. Things like "You only love the money" and "He's turning you into a spoiled brat".

**~Flash back~**

Leon and I were standing in front of his house arguing the only light was coming from the street lights. It was the thanks giving after Kayde came home from Japan. "Look at yourself! You highlighted your hair; your face is so caked with make up that you would crack if I thumped you. You're wearing high heels and name brand expensive as hell clothing. I don't even recognize you. This is not who you are!" I told him to shut up but he wouldn't. "You have given up everything about your self for him, for the money. You don't love him you love the things he can give you. Face it." I turned from him, ran across the street and got in the car with Kayde.

"What was that all about?" he asked watching Kayde slam the door of the house then turning back to look at me.

"Nothing lets just go home." I said looking out of the front glass at the house as we drove away.

**~Back to the Prison~**

"Leon was right." I whispered to myself, but Daryl heard me and stopped walking.

"What?" he said it angrily and I know he got the wrong idea. He thought I meant Leon was right about him.

"Leon was right about Kayde and me." I clarified and a little of the anger left his face. I stood up so that I could talk to him face to face. "He had said once that I didn't love Kayde, that I loved all the stuff he bought me." Daryl pulled a face at me talking about Kayde and turned to walk away. "Please just listen to me." He stopped walking away and turned back to me.

"Okay, I'm listening." The gentle tone of his voice shocked me and I couldn't continue what I was saying. "Go ahead. Talk about the love of yer life." That pulled the words from me.

"I'm trying to tell you that I have realized that he wasn't the love of my life." He walked closer glaring at me and leaned on the fence next to me. "I realize now that I didn't love him the way I thought I did. I was blinded into thinking I did. I'm not saying I was married to a man I didn't love, because I did love him. I just wasn't _in_ love with him. Does that make any since at all?"

"No not really." He said it quietly; all anger was gone from his face.

"There are different kinds of love. The way ya love yer family, the way ya love yer friends, and the way ya love yer spouse. I loved him like a friend when I thought I loved him like a spouse." I didn't say anything else I just stood there leaning on the fence looking at him. Hoping he wasn't too mad at me.

"So how do you love me? Am I just some friend that gives you the benefits that come along with me being your boyfriend or what?" he was looking at me with a hurt and confused look.

"I am totally… completely and truly in love with ya. I didn't know what that felt like until I met ya." He nodded his head once and took a step toward me.

"So you are 100 percent over him?" I nodded.

"Yes, I am. Daryl, in my dream, when I saw ya and Kasey lying on the floor mangled by zombies I…" I started to cry but I quickly stopped and wiped away the tears. I was getting tired of crying so much. "I didn't know what to do. Then y'all came back as walkers and I let ya take me. I couldn't stand the thought of living with out ya, or Kasey." He closed the gap between us and pulled me into a hug. The tears started falling again; I never could refrain from crying when someone hugged me. "There would be no point in living if I didn't have y'all." I whispered in his ear and he squeezed me tight.

"I love you to." He whispered back to me. He kissed my head and I pulled away leaving my hands on his waist.

"So are ya still mad at me for changing the lyrics of the song? I really didn't mean for that to make you look like an idiot. The song was just so depressing that I thought throwing something cute about me and ya in would lighten the mood." He shook his head.

"Na I'm not mad. I just… I'm new to this whole relationship stuff. Don't really know how to handle it." He admitted and I forgot that he had never had a girlfriend before me.

"Ok I'll keep the details of us private from now on." He wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me hop to the fire. He sat me down next to my sister and he sat down next to me. My sister smiled at me and nudged me with her shoulder. Kasey came over and laid on the blanket between Daryl and me. Her soft snoring drifted up to my ears and I suddenly realized how late it was and how sleepy I was getting.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

**Violets Pov-**

I sat around the fire listing to Lyla sing. I always loved my sisters singing voice. No matter what song she was singing I couldn't help but stop what I was doing to listen. The song she was singing, thanks to T-Dog, was sad. I watched her sing and I could tell by the look on her face that she knew she was bringing everyone down. So when she smirked at Daryl and changed the words of the song letting everyone know how they first met we all laughed at the sweet gesture. I leaned up looking across Merle at Daryl and my smile faded. He didn't look happy he looked…pissed as he glanced over his shoulder at the wings on the back of his vest. I nudged Merle and nodded toward his brother. "I know, that used to be my vest, little punk stole it." He said leaning over to whisper to me. Did he not care that his brother was upset?

"Merle he's mad." I whispered as Lyla finished singing and Daryl got up and stalked off.

"Like I said, I know. He's mad at her because she put their relationship out in the open for everyone to judge, they will work it out. But if they don't, I'll step in and give him a good kick in the ass like I always do." I just stared at him. Even though Daryl was a grown man now Merle still felt the need to father him. I guess he would always do that now to try and make up for how badly he had done when they were growing up. Lyla got up and T-Dog helped her hop over to where Daryl was standing at the fence. I turned my back giving them the privacy they deserved.

"So, that vest used to be yours huh?" I asked smirking at him and he nodded at me. "Why didn't you just steel it back?" he shrugged his shoulders.

"I noticed how much City liked it on him." I furrowed my brows and squinted at him.

"City?" I asked with a laugh and he shrugged his shoulders again. It was the first time I had heard him call her by anything other than her name.

"Yeah it's a nick name I gave her when she first came to the Atlanta camp." I laughed and he smiled at me.

"What would your nick name for me be?" he looked around the yard as he thought about it for a little while before he snapped his fingers and looked back at me.

"Pocahontas." He said with a big smile and a glint in his eye. I blushed and looked down at my shoes. He didn't get to say anything else to me, because Rick started talking to the whole group.

"Better all turn in. I'll take watch over there. We've got a big day tomorrow." We all just stared at him. How did we have a big day ahead of us? We were here and safe. We could all use a break form running around. "Look I know we're all exhausted," Uh Duh? "This was a great win, but we have to push just a little bit more." What? Why? "Most of the walkers are dress as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early; it could mean the supplies may be intact. They have an infirmary, commissary,"

"An armory." Daryl added from beside Lyla.

"That would be outside the prison itself, but not to fat away. The warden's offices would have information on the location." He paused for a moment looking at all of us. "Weapons, food, medicine." He sad moving his hand and ticking it off on his fingers as he spoke. He pointed to the prison. "This place could be a gold mine." Hershel pointed out the fact that we were dangerously low on ammo and that we would run out before we even made a dent. "Well that's why we have to go in there, hand to hand." 'Oh crap I hope he doesn't recruit me. I am not the worlds greatest at hand to hand.' I thought to myself as the conversation was going on. Everyone looked as scared as I felt. "And after all we've been through, we can handle it I know it." He looked aver at Carl and smirked. "These assholes don't stand a chance." Carl smiled and nodded back at his dad. Rick walked away from the group and Lori went after him. The argued for a while before Rick followed her back to the fire looking madder than he had before. "We will enjoy this for two more days. After that we take this place." He marched off to take his watch and everyone settled in for the night contemplating what just went on.

Merle and I settled into our blankets taking up our usual sleeping position. My back was pressed against his front. I used the part of his arm that wasn't under his head as a pillow and his other arm was rapped around my waist holding me to him tightly. He had made it a habit of rubbing small circles on my stomach with his thumb. I didn't know if he did it because I might me pregnant or if it was just meant to comfort me, but I liked the small gesture either way. I always waited for him to stop rubbing the small circles and for his breathing to deepen before I would fall asleep. And that nigh, I fell asleep fast.

**Talitha's Pov-**

The Two days we spent out in the yard were the most relaxing we had had since the farm. It might have been a little more relaxing than the farm considering that at the farm I still worried about the kids getting themselves into trouble. Here they were completely safe surrounded by a strong fence that I had noticed was much stronger than the one in Beaumont. Every one was in high spirits, even Rick. He played chase with the kids in the yard. Vi and I taught Kasey how to do a cartwheel. I think she could have easily become a cheerleader of gymnast if the world going to crap hadn't stifled any chance of that, because she caught on really fast.

Kasey's eyes brightened the moment Daryl gave her the sling shot he had made for her. Even I thought it was cool. It was constructed of a Y shaped stick, normal rainbow colored rubber bands, zip ties to hold the rubber bands to the stick and duct tape to give the handle part some grip and for the part attached to the rubber bands that you grab and pull back. Kasey was reluctant to share when Carl wanted to shoot it hand I had to give her the sharing lecture that I remembered my mother giving me. She let me shoot it a Few times. I got a rise out of T-Dog when I hit him in the butt with a clod of dirt. He laughed and threw a small rock in my direction, but I quickly dodged it. I noticed Daryl watching our interaction intensely. I turned to look at him and he smirked at me as I put a dirt clod in his hand and shifted my eyes quickly to Merle. I handed him the sling shot and he pulled the rubber bands back, took aim and sent the dirt flying at Merle. Problem was that it broke into smaller pieces in to air and hit everyone around Merle, including Violet, Carl and Maggie. Glenn didn't get hit but it didn't stop him and Kasey from joining the dirt war that quickly formed between all of us. Hershel was the one to break us up. We were laughing, including Hershel as he told us to stop acting like little kids.

On the second day I was woke up with Violet asking for a certain feminine product which I gave to her gladly. I think the whole group was relieved that she wasn't pregnant. Merle on the other hand didn't seam so happy about it. I think he was starting to like the idea of being a father. He was slowly but surly taking a liking to Kasey. He even told her to call him uncle Merle, which she happily did. It was fine with me, only it brought on questions later that night when she was sitting between Daryl and me where we laid on our blankets by the fire. "Miss Lyla if Mr. Merle is my uncle and Mr. Daryl is his brother, does that mean that Mr. Daryl is my new daddy?" She directed the question at me with a confused look on her face, but Daryl answered it with a quick but gentle "Only if ya want me to be munchkin." She thought about if for a minute. "My daddy can see me from heaven right?" I hummed a yes to her. "What if he thinks I'm replacing him?"

"Sweetie no one could replace yer dad, he knows that." I brushed unruly curls out of her face. I had completely given up on taming her hair.

"Ya can have two dads' ya know." Daryl offered. She thought about it for a good while before she surprised us both and threw her arms around Daryl.

"Then I want you to be my new daddy." She pulled away and looked at me. "Miss Lyla?" I hummed to her letting her know I was listening. "Will you be my new mommy?" I didn't even need to think about my answer I already considered my daughter.

"Of coarse I will sweetheart." She threw her arms around my shoulders and kissed me on the cheek. "Sweetie we are keeping people awake. We have to go to bed now."

"Yes Ma'am" she whispered as laid down between us. "Love you Daddy, Love you Mommy." She said once she was settled and we fell asleep.

The next day we ate breakfast and pack up most of the things from out camp in the yard. Rick started giving orders of who was going to do what. He chose T-Dog, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, Merle and Greta to go in and clean the place out with him. Leaving me, Violet, Lori, Carl, Hershel, Beth, Kasey, and George to stay and watch from the yard and hope everything is okay. I wanted so bad to get in on the action, but with my ankle still a bit swollen, Hershel wouldn't allow it. Plus it still hurt like a SOB to put too much weight on it.

Rick led the men into the area closest to the buildings in a circle formation similar to the one we used when we were clearing the prison in Texas. I listened to Rick yell at Merle to stay in formation as I hopped along the fence stabbing the walkers that came our way. I looked up to see that what Merle had broken formation for was a swat team shield. Eventually they disappeared out of sight and Violet started freaking out. "Oh my god I can't see them can you see them? What if someone gets hurt?" I along with Lori and Hershel calmed her down just as they came back into sight.

"See Rick isn't going to let anything happen to them ok?" Lori said pointing at everyone as they came back from around the building. We could heat them saying that the interior could be over run from walkers from the outside and Rick saying that they had to push in. They disappeared into the building leaving us all there to wait. Violet and I stood together holding each others hands waiting at the gait for our men to return and Kasey was hugging my leg. "Is Daddy going to be ok?" she asked looking up at me with scared eyes.

"He is going to be fine." I answered hoping I was right. My heart was racing the whole time they were gone and time seamed to move at the speed of a snail. I was shaking as was violet. 'Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon' I repeated the mantra in my head until they finally came out of the building completely unharmed. They opened the gait and I threw my arms around Daryl who surprised me when he picked me up and spun me around. I had expected him to stiffen up or just not reciprocate. I looked up at him with a big grin on my face and he smirked at me. "I was worried about ya." I said for his ears only , knowing Kasey wasn't far away. He smirked at me.

"Only a Dixon…"

"…Can kill a Dixon." I nodded once as I finished the sentence he kissed me quickly before he turned to Kasey and kneeled down to her level.

"Hey munchkin. Were ya good while I was gone?" I smiled inwardly at the fatherly question. She tucked her hands behind her back and nodded. She threw her arms around her neck and kissed his dirty cheek. He picked her up into his arms and sat her on his shoulders.

"I was scared while you were gone." She admitted quietly to him and put her hands on the top of his head.

I saw him smile up at her before he spoke. "Oh don't ever worry about me munchkin. Nothing can hurt me." I kept it so myself how smug that sounded because so far he had been right about that. "Ready to see yer new home?" he asked the both of us and we headed into the prison. They led us through a metal door and through another barred door into a room with a mini guard tower over looking a few picnic tables then through another barred door into the main room of the cell block. There were big barred windows lining the opposing wall from the one the cells were on, so there was plenty of light in the big room. Every one started picking their cells. I noticed Carl go into one with Beth and smirked to myself. I watched as he left not long after Hershel entered. Daryl nudged me with his shoulder. "I think we should make the kids share a cell. What do ya think?" I thought about it for a minute. It would be nice to have some alone time with Daryl.

"I think I'm okay with that if Lori is." I answered and relief swept across his face bringing his comment about her being a "cock blocking little kid" back to my mind causing me to laugh. "I'll go talk to Lori about it. Ya just pick us a cell." He shook his head.

"I ain't sleepin in no cage. We'll take the perch." He nodded to where he was talking about. I nodded at him and went to find Lori. I found her in a cell by herself.

"Hey." I said as I stepped in and she returned it with an ashamed smile. "Daryl and I were wondering if Carl and Kasey could share a cell." She shook her head.

"He is going to sleep in the cell with his father." She shrugged when I just looked at her. "But she can stay in here with me if she wants to. I could use the company." She said motioning to the top bunk. "Is she scared of heights?" I didn't know the answer to that question so I just shrugged. About that time Kasey came running by me and I caught her around the waist and scooped her into my arms before I sat her down again.

"Hey I got a question for ya munchkin." I said after I sat her down and had her attention.

"Hey only daddy can call me that." She said putting her hands on her hips scolding me and I laughed.

"Ok, I'm sorry. Would ya want to share a room with Mrs. Lori? She nodded her hair bouncing as she did. "Would ya be scared to sleep on the top?" she looked at the upper bed.

"That's really high…"

"She can sleep on the bottom, until I get to big to climb up to the top bunk. Then she might have to sleep somewhere else." Lori offered with a smile. "It's the least I can do after I caused you so much trouble back at the Atlanta camp." I knew what she was meaning and I was grateful that she would be willing to do that for me.

"Thanks Lori." I sat my hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze letting her know I appreciated it. "Ok Kase, yer sleepin in here with Mrs. Lori." She nodded. "Ya can go play now, but don't leave this big room got me?" she nodded before she ran off and I turned back to Lori. "Ya know I don't hold any of that crap against ya right?" she looked really sad and she sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"I do now." She said with a sigh and I sat down next to her. I don't know why, but I felt like she needed a friend and I felt like I needed to be that friend. We had known each other for a long time now, or at least what could be considered a long time in a world filled with short lives, so I figured I could leave the past in the past if she could.

"If ya ever need to talk, rather is about the baby or just stuff ya need to get off yer chest, I'm here." I offered and he smiled at me.

"I've really messed up." Guess the talking was starting now. "My son can't stand me and my husband after what I put him through."

"Have ya tried talkin to him?"

"Yeah, but he is always to busy leading the group to think about us."

"Maybe once we get settled here ya can try again."

"No, he hates me."

"I don't think he hates ya."

"He's too good a man to say it, but I know. I put him and Shane at odds I put that knife into his hands…" she broke down crying so I did the normal thing to do and pulled her into a hug until she stopped crying.

"Ya know who doesn't give a crap about any of that shit?" she just stared at me. "Me and this precious innocent baby growing inside ya right now. Ya will always have him or her with ya. And unless ya pull something again ya will always have me." She let out a small laugh. "Now, I'm gonna go see what everyone else is up to. Ya comin?" she nodded and followed me to where the group was standing. We found out that T-dog Hershel, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Merle, and Rick were going to see if they could find the cafeteria. There was some swat team gear lying on a table. Daryl picked up a helmet and nasty greenish yellow slime ran out of it onto the table.

"I ain't wearin this shit." He said setting it back onto the table. T-dog held up something that was unidentifiable to me that was poring with the same disgusting putrid smelling slime.

"We could boil it." Tee suggested and Rick looked to be considering it. My stomach churned just from the smell.

"There ain't enough wood in the forest, no. Besides, we've gotten this far without it right?" Daryl said as he picked up a long guard stick testing its swing. The others put on what swat gear they dared and they headed to the exit. I grabbed Daryl by the hand and he pulled me into a hug whispering that he would be back in no time with something good to eat from the cafeteria. He released me and kissed my head then Kasey's before heading out of the door. I smirked when I saw Merle blow Violet a kiss and she caught it sticking it in her shirt pocket. She walked over to me and nodded for me to follow her. We took up residence on the perch where Daryl had constructed us a bed using some mattresses from the cells and some of the many blankets we had lying around now days. Violet and I sat down facing the entrance and dangling our feet off of the side of the perch waiting for the return of our men while Kasey was being entertained by Beth and Carl.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

**Talitha's Pov-**

We waited for what felt like forever before the scouting group came back. I ran down from the perch almost tripping over my own feet to get to Daryl, but when I got down he was no where to be seen. I looked at Rick with questioning eyes. "He alright he's just guarding the people we found." He contently left out the fact that those people they found were prisoners that had only survived because they had been locked in the cafeteria where all the food was. All of the men in the group went into the area where the new men were being held. I watched as T-dog and Rick led them one by one into cells and locked them there. The first was a guy with long hair, half of it pulled up into a pony tail. He was wearing a dirty white wife beater and had his prison jumpsuit tied at his waist. He looked up at me where I was sitting on the perch and whistled. "You will get an arrow in your ass if you even look at her the wrong way." Rick said as he shoved the guy into the cell. I smiled inwardly at that comment from Rick even though I didn't who he was meaning the arrow would come from, me or Daryl. I made a mental note to apologize for almost hitting him the other day.

The next man was a short skinny man with his prison uniform fully on unlike the first guy. He looked scrawny. I'm pretty sure I could take him if it ever came to it even without my taser, not that I would try to or even need to. I didn't have to worry about anyone touching me with Daryl around. The guy did a lot of complaining when Rick shoved him into the cell, but we all ignored him. The next was a funny looking man with over grown reddish blond hair and a handle bar mustache. He was doing a good amount of pleading as well. He was saying that he liked his pharmaceuticals, but he would never hurt anyone. 'Ppfftt yeah ok.' I thought to myself as Rick shoved him into a cell.

The next man to be led out of the holding area was built like a brick shit house as my dad would have said. He had a full on beard and unlike the other men he never said a word as he was pushed into his cell. 'Gosh how many men are there?' I thought as they brought out the last one. The most normal looking one of them all. He was average height and build and had a bald head. He also never said a word as he was led to his cell. Finally after all of that Daryl came into the room. This time I calmly walked down the stairs and to him. I didn't really want to touch him in view of the prisoners so I just walked beside him. I think he understood why I didn't touch him or smile at him like i usually did, because he didn't make an attempt to hug or touch me either.

That was until we got to the perch and out of view of the new men. As soon as we were up there he grabbed me and held me tight. "I love ya." He said in my ear where his head was placed on my shoulder. "Where is Kasey? He asked pulling away from me.

"She is in a cell with Carl Lori and Beth. I didn't want her seeing them or vice versa." He nodded and pulled me back into him. I pressed my head into his chest as he held me tight. This was a really good moment to remember but the smell I had to go with it, not so much. My nose was still wrinkled when he pulled away from me.

"What?" he asked in his usual gruff voice and I laughed.

"Ya stink." He smirked at me.

"Ya expect me to smell like roses woman?" he said playfully.

"Well, no. I'm pretty sure I don't smell like a rose garden either. I was just sayin."

"I know what yer getting at. We need a shower," he stepped closer to me "together preferably."

"I wonder if this place has running water." I thought out loud. He shrugged his shoulders then told me he would talk to Rick about finding the shower rooms. "So what all do we know about these men?" I asked as I sat down where I had waited for him with Violet, who was off somewhere with Merle at the moment. Daryl let out a breath and sat down next to me.

"The scrawny little Nigg, uh dark man, is Andrew. The bald dark man is Oscar, the white guy with the mustache is Axle, the other white guy with the pony tail is Tomas, and the huge dark guy is Big Tiny." I laughed at the name of the last man and Daryl looked at me with a smirk.

"So do ya think any of them are good guys?" he shook his head.

"They all did something to end up in this place; I think they deserve to stay in the cells."

"Can I talk to them?" he looked at me like I was crazy.

"Why the hell would ya want to do that?" he asked getting up still looking at me like I was insane.

"Because I don't think that every man that goes to prison needs to be there. Our justice system was screwed up before all of this." He was glaring at me. "Daryl before the world went to shit I had a cousin that was in prison. Do you know why he got put there?" the question was rhetorical and he knew it. "Because he stole a TV from a teacher's house, and diapers for his son from a convenience store. Yeah he was addicted to drugs, and couldn't hold a job, but he was a good guy. He got 40 years for that. He never got to see his son grow up. Who says that at least one of these men aren't like him?" he just stared at me. "I just want to talk to them, I wont get within their reach so they wont touch me and you said they we all unarmed right?" he nodded. "So can I talk to them?" he nodded but he didn't look happy about it.

"We still have a little light left in the day. I'm going to go talk to Rick about finding those showers." I followed him as he walked down the stairs to where Rick was standing talking to T-Dog. Tee had some boxes with cans in them and Rick was holding two big bags. I guess they went back to the cafeteria while Daryl and I were talking. I held my hands out for the bags that Rick was holding and he passed them to me. I took them to an empty cell and sat them on the bed. I was about to exit the cell when I bumped into T-Dog causing him to Drop the boxes. I helped him clean up the mess of scattered cans which we sat in the corner of the cell. I noticed Daryl watching T-Dog when we came out of the cell. I walked over to him as Rick was leaving their conversation.

"So what was the answer?" I asked him putting my hands on my hips and looking at him because the prisoners were able to see us.

"He said to give him ten minutes then we would go looking for them."

"Y'all don't know where they are located?" I asked and he shook his head. "Don't ya think the prisoners could at least give you directions to them?" he scratched his head aggravated at my trust in the prisoners.

"I don't trust them. What if they lead us into a trap?"

"Then we would know from then on that we can't trust them, but I don't think it is fare to right them off just because they were in prison when the world went to hell." He was biting at his dirty nails and I pulled his hand away. "Will ya at least try it? I'll ask if ya don't want to deal with them." He huffed out an aggravated breath before he mumbled something about me being a hard headed woman gave me my bow and arrows before he pointed to the second set of stairs that led to the upstairs cells were the men were being kept. That was the new arrangement. The Prisoners were held up on the catwalk cells and everyone else would stay on the ground level cells. All but Daryl and I of course, we were still going to sleep on the perch.

"Don't get to close and be careful." He said as I started up the stairs and I looked back at him and told him I promised that I would. I walked as close to the railing as possible. I stood in the middle of them waiting for them to realize someone was up there with them. The first one to speak to me was Tomas.

"Hey Pocahontas, come to get us out of here?" he said with his head close to the bars of the cell.

"Uh no and don't call me that." The other men came to the front of their cells, all of them eying the bow that was over me. I walked over to Big Tiny who was one cell down from Tomas. They had spaced it so that there were empty cells between each of the men. "I need some information. Ya willin to give it to me?" I asked leaning on the railing making sure I was out of arms reach.

"Depends on what you need info about." He answered meekly and I had to hold back the urge to smirk at him.

"Hey, don't tell her anything man. Bitch is probably just playin you. Why else would they send a girl up here?" Tomas said looking our way from his cell.

"Was I talkin to ya?" I spat in his direction glaring at him.

"Doesn't fuckin matter my prison my rules." His prison? I pulled my bow off of my back and aimed an arrow at his head.

"What was that? Because it looks to me like it's my way or the high way to hell for you right now." He didn't say anything after that and I dropped the bow down easing the string back and keeping the arrow in it just in case. I turned back to Big Tiny, took a deep breath and released it. "Anyways, I would like to know were the showers are." Big Tiny answered my question along with Axle's help. "Thank y'all." I told them with a nod then made my way down the catwalk passing Tomas who was still at the front of his cell. My eyes caught his as I walked past. There was something familiar about them I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I reported my findings to Rick, Daryl and T-Dog. Rick was pissed at me for talking to them with out his permission, but I had Daryl's so that's all that mattered to me. The three men went out to find the showers and this time I didn't feel as nervous about it. I went to the perch, sat down in my waiting spot and started to think. For some reason I felt like I could trust the scary big guy. I knew in my gut that he wasn't a bad guy just like I had a gut feeling that Tomas was the direct opposite. That's when I realized what it was about Tomas's eyes that looked familiar to me. They had the same insane glint in them that Shane's had. I hopped up from my spot and told George who was sitting on a random chair in the main room. I asked him where Violet and Merle were and he told me that they were in their cell. I figured since they were in there alone that that is what they wanted to be, alone. I knew the feeling I hadn't had Daryl all to myself in a long time and I was starting to miss him. I went back to my spot on the perch and waited.

I didn't have to wait to long because the men came back looking happy. I walked over to everyone greeted them happy to see that they were happy. Rick started talking when everyone was gathered. "Good new is we found the showers thanks to Big Tiny and Axle. The only bad news is the water is cold, but I'm personally just glad just to have access to a working shower." Everyone sighed and smiled in relief at hearing the "bad" news. "But, we will be using the water from here for showers only. If we need water for anything else we will get it from outside where we are going to dig a canal." 'That's reasonable' "We will let the ladies shower first, so get anything you will need together and I will lead the way." Daryl followed me to the perch and watched as I dug through my bag for my toiletry bag. I found it and put it in a pile with my last set of clean clothes.

"Are ya gonna shower with the other ladies or are ya gonna wait and shower with me?" honestly I was so excited about the showers that I had forgot about his comment about us showering together.

"Oh uh I can wait and shower with ya, but if I do then everyone is going to know what we are doing when we disappear together." I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He smirked at me when I smile at him mischievously.

He made sure no one could see us before he leaned in and started trailing kisses along my grimy neck. I didn't care if I was dirty as long as he didn't and I let out a sigh of pleasure at his touch. He kissed my ear lobe before he whispered "I don't really care I just need ya." He kissed my neck one more time before his pulled away. I looked at him through my eyelashes and smiled at him before I walked to the railing of the perch.

The other women were all gathered at the exit and I saw Lori look around until her eyes landed on me. She smiled at me knowingly before she and the three other women followed Rick out of the room. I noticed that Maggie was missing from the group as well and I laughed. "wha'?" Daryl asked from his spot beside me.

"We won't be the only ones having a little fun tonight." About that time Maggie walked out of her and Glenn's cell. Daryl laughed getting who I was talking about. Maggie flashed us a big grin when she saw that we were also waiting to have the showers to ourselves. I couldn't help but smirk when I saw Hershel giving Maggie and Glenn dirty looks. "At least my dad isn't here to give ya looks like that." I said to Daryl while I nodded to Hershel.

"What was yer dad like?" he asked and I looked at him.

"Well he was yer typical southern dad. He liked to hunt, fish, and work. Actually mom always said that he was a workaholic." He nodded at this new information. "And unfortunately all three of us got his hot temper. Mom was the only level head in the family."

"I think ya got a little of yer mom's level headedness. Ya can control yer temper a little bit better than Violet can." I smiled and nodded at his observation. We sat there in comfortable silence for a little while. I was sitting with my head propped against the railing and my hands pressed into the floor beside me. I was staring out over the main room of the prison when I felt his hand slide over mine so I twisted my hand a bit so the he could hold it. I smiled and turned my head, still leaning it on the railing, to look at him. He leaned in and kissed me with a gentle passion. He pulled back when he heard someone cleat their throat. We looked to see Rick leading the women into the main room.

I went and made sure Kasey was in the cell with Carl before I went and talked to Lori while the men showered. We talked about random stuff until Daryl's name came up. "So you really love Daryl huh?" She asked with a sweet smile. And I told her I really did. "And Merle's not the terrible man I thought he was when he first came to the Atlanta camp. I honestly thought those two were exactly the same." I laughed I never thought they were the same. "Daryl seems to be the more…mature, of the two." I smiled. I didn't feel like discussing Daryl with her.

"Yeah I though Merle was just another sexist bustard when I first met him to. Especially considering that he referred to me as a "nice piece of ass."" she laughed at that. "And he cut my throat with a knife, but yeah he is a good guy now that he isn't popping pills and whatever else he probably did." She nodded and sat down on her bunk. She motioned for me to join her but I shook my head.

"That is why I think we should give these guys a chance, well not Tomas, that guy is bad. I know it sound cliché and stupid, but I can look at him and tell he is a killer. He gives off that vibe ya know." She probably didn't know considering her attachment to Shane. "I think, but I'm not sure, that we can trust Axle and Big Tiny. I'm not so sure about Oscar and Andrew; I haven't talked to them."

"You talked to the prisoners?" she asked with her eyes big.

"Yeah, Rick didn't like that I talked to them without his permission, but, oh well." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"And Daryl didn't mind you talking to them?"

I shook my head. "I don't think he was completely comfortable with it, but he didn't stop me. I think he knows that I can handle myself."

"He does." His voice at the cell doorway startled me but I turned to Daryl and flash him a proud smile.

"Were you eavesdropping on us?" I asked him with suspicious eyes. His face didn't change from his usual blank look, but I could tell that if Lori wasn't there he would be smiling.

"Nope. Just heard that last bit." Lori laughed from where she still sat on her bed and he ignored her. He nodded with his head for me to follow him. We went to the perch and he gathered the things I had laid out while I dug though his bag to find him some clean clothes. "Um here ill get that." I thought it was weird that he sounded a bit nervous, but I took my things when he handed them to me and let him dig through his bag. He eventually had his things gathered and we walked to the showers. We both had our bows and a gun just in case, because you never know when the shit is going to hit the fan now days.

When we got the shower room we sat our things on the bench that was against one wall. Daryl pulled me into his arms and kissed me with a slow gentleness that I loved. He slid his hand down to my hips and pulled me into him tighter letting me feel how much he needed me. I let out a quiet moan and deepened the kiss. His hands slid from my hips up my sides raising my dirty shirt us as he did. I broke the kiss and held my arms up for him to take my shirt off then he quickly pulled his shirt off before I could do it for him. He pulled me back into his. He undid my bra with one hand and I giggled then slid my hands down his chest to the button of his jeans. I quickly had it undone and he pushed them and his boxers down before he started working on my jeans. He wasn't nearly as smooth with the button of my jeans as he was with my bra so I reached down and did it my self. He left while I took off my jeans to turn on the water in one of the stalls. I looked at his backside as he fiddled with the knob. He cursed when the cold water flooded over him and I laughed. He glared at me and pulled me into the water causing me to curse. "Ooh I like it when ya talk dirty to me." I slapped his chest before I pulled him into a kiss. I quickly forgot the temperature of the water when he pressed me against the wall of the shower. He kissed and bit at my neck while he cupped both of my breasts in his callused hands kneading them and playing with my hardened nipples. I leaned my head against the wall and let a moan escape my lips when he replaced his right hand with his lips.

He surprised me when he continued kissing downward and kissed my center. I had never been with a man that would do this and I loved the feeling. I let more moans escape me. I looked down at him when I felt him stop. He was smirking up at me. "Ya like?"

"Mmm I love." I answered and he continued where he had left off and he didn't stop until I reached my moment of ecstasy. He slid his hand up my slick stomach as he stood up then moved then down my sides. I kissed his lips letting out tongs battle it out before I moved to kissing his neck then down to his chest where I sucked leaving my mark on him before I moved back to kissing his lips. As we kissed he gripped my butt and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. I loved the fact that he was strong enough to keep me pinned against the wall like that.

We carried on like that until he reached his point of ecstasy and I reached a second. I was standing in my bra and panties with my back to the bench where our clothes were and had my hair in my face drying it when I felt something hard and cold touch my neck. I slung my hair out of my face and turned to Daryl. He was standing right behind me in his clean boxers with a jewelry box in his hand and a smirk on his face. I felt of what had touched my neck and smiled at him. He had gotten me a necklace. I didn't even look at it I just threw myself in his arms and kissed him with every ounce of love I possessed. He chuckled when we finally broke the kiss needing air. "Aren't ya gonna look at it?" he asked. It could have been a necklace out of a gumball machine and I wouldn't have cared I would have loved it regardless of its cost.

He got tired of me just standing there smiling at him so she shoved me to one of the sinks so I could see it in the mirror. It sight of it took my breath away. Around my neck was the second most beautiful pair of angel wings I had ever seen. The first most beautiful set of wings belongs to Daryl. Cheesy I know, but still. "Oh my god Daryl it's beautiful…" I lifted my hand up to touch the shining sliver wings. They actually looked a lot like the ones on the back of his vest. This only made me like the necklace that much more. The sparkling of the chain brought my attention to something else that was new on my neck. I twisted my head around to get a better look at the side of my neck. I turned to look at Daryl. "Daryl…" I said in a warning voice. He just grinned mischievously. "Ya gave me a hickey?"

"Yep, ya marked me, figured I could repay the favor." the grin never leaving his face.

"Mmkay I'll let ya explain that one if someone asks and next time mark me where no one can see." I said smiling at him and he kissed me pressing me against the sink. "Thank ya for the necklace, I love it."

"I know, I can tell." He said kissing me again.

"I love ya." I whispered in his ear.

"I love ya to baby." He whispered back and I felt like jumping up and down like a little school girl when he called me that. I didn't of course.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: **I realize this chapter is really short compaired to how much i usualy cram into one chapter, but i am having major wrighters block and just can't seam to make the words flow onto the paper (or computer? Keyboard? Whatever you get my point.) anyways i hope this doesn't aggravate anyone please review anyways.

**Chapter 37**

"Finally!" Maggie exclaimed when Daryl and I walked into the main room. Her eyes instantly went to my necklace. She picked it up looking at it. "Ooh shiny new necklace. Good work Daryl." She smiled and winked at Daryl only for him to scoff at her then walk off. I didn't know if that was a double sided compliment considering the hickey that was in plain sight. She turned to Glenn backhanding him in the chest. "How come you never get me pretty things?"

He held his hands up in defense. "I don't know." He answered with a red face and a shrug.

"He said he got it from a jewelry store when he went on the supply run with Merle and Violet. He might take you back there if you ever do want to get her something." I explained trying to defuse the situation between the two, but I don't think it worked. Maggie just went to the exit of the room with her things in hand.

"Are you coming or what Glenn?" he nodded and quickly followed after her. Everyone else was asleep so I went to the perch. Daryl was lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head. The moonlight from a nearby window was shining on him. He watched me as I laid down beside him mimicking his position except I had a pillow so I folded my hands over my stomach. Thinking about Maggie and Glenn made me laugh out loud.

"Whatcha laughing at woman?" he asked turning just his head to look at me as I did the same.

"I think ya got Glenn in trouble." He looked at me a little confused.

"How did I get Glenn in trouble?" I turned on my side and ran my fingers through his soft clean hair.

"Because ya gave me jewelry, I doubt Glenn as even given Maggie flowers." He laughed a little after realizing that he just in fact might have gotten Glenn in trouble. "By the way, please don't ever give me flowers." He looked at my funny.

"Why not? I thought women loved that romantic shit." I smirked at him.

"Because flowers die. I don't consider that romantic. People give flowers because they are supposed to symbolize love or be equal to the beauty of the receiver. But love doesn't die and I don't like to think of the fact that I will one day grow old, wrinkled and ugly like the flowers do. I just never understood the gesture." He laughed at me.

"Ya are the strangest woman I have ever met, but I love that about ya." He brushed his hand over my cheek. I closed my eyes loving the feel of his rough hand across my skin. "Ya could cut all yer hair off and ya'd still be beautiful to me." I smiled and grabbed his hand that was still on my cheek. I held it in both of mine arranging it to that our palms were pressed together. I saw that his fingers were about half an inch longer than mine before he intertwined them with mine. I rolled onto my side propped my head up on my elbow and put our hands on his chest. I sometimes caught myself wondering about his scars. Mainly the one on the right of his chest near his collar bone, but I never asked. I didn't think it would be a good idea to. He had let go of my hand to tuck his back under his head. I ran my finger tip lightly across the scar feeling how raised it was from the rest of his skin. I couldn't imagine how painful it had been to have an injury so bad that it would leave a scar that bad. "Whatcha thinkin 'bout?" I jerked a bit when he spoke because I thought he had gone to sleep.

'Oh um, nothin." I answered not wanting to let him know what I was thinking about.

"Yer lyin." His eyes were squinted at me in the moonlight. "Ya know I can tall when yer thinkin 'bout stuff. Plus yer fiddlin with yer necklace." I hadn't realized I had been. "So yer either thinkin really hard bout somethin or yer worrying." I remained quiet. "Come on babe which is it?" I smiled a little at the new name for me and he brought a hand up brushing my still damp hair out of my face. He broke me and I couldn't help but tell him what was on my mind.

"Ok, I'm not worried about anything I was just wonderin about somethin."

"Mkay." I ran my fingers across the scar lightly and he cut his eyes down to look at it.

"How'd ya get it?" I looked up to his eyes to find that they had darkened a bit. "Ya don't have to tell me. I was just lettin ya know what I was thinkin about." I said it faster than I had meant to and he smirked at me a little.

"I don't care if ya ask, but I'll tell ya some other time. Today has been too good to end it with a bad story." I smiled and pressed my face into his warm neck taking in his clean sent.

"I love ya Daryl Dixon." I said into his ear and he wrapped his arm around me.

"I love ya to Talitha uh…I don't know yer last name. If ya ever told it to me I can't remember." I laughed a little.

"My maiden name is Hall." I explained.

"Oh, well I love ya to Talitha Hall." I snuggled into him as he pulled the covers over us. I quickly fell asleep.

I opened my eyes wondering if it had all been a dream. I raised my hand up touching the cold white gold and diamond angel wings that rested on my chest and I knew it wasn't. I really was with the most caring, loving and gentle man I have ever known. He was still sleeping next to me in out makeshift bed. It was still pretty early, I could see dim sun light coming in through the windows. I let my thoughts drift as I laid there with Daryl's arm draped across my stomach.

My thoughts drifted to my sister and Merle. I was happy that they both had someone. Merle was a completely different man than the one he had been when I first met him. He was just as kind as his brother and he would probably never admit it but I think he wanted to become a father. My thoughts were pulled to a halt when I felt Daryl stir. I put my hand on top of his and ran my thumb lightly over the back of his hand. I turned my head to look at him only for his lips to catch mine before I had the chance. I opened my eyes pulling back from the kiss and put my hand on his face. He gave me a sleepy smirk. "Good mornin." He swept my hair out of my face and gave me a gentle peck on my cheek.

"Morning." I answered cheerily and sat up in the bed stretching. "Ya hungry?" he nodded and I stood up putting the uncomfortably light converse on. I held my hand out to him and he grabbed it letting me pull him to his feet. We walked down to the cell we stored the food in. "How are we supposed to cook this stuff?" I looked at the bags of cornmeal then started looking through the can foods in the boxes. I didn't know how to make anything but cornbread out of cornmeal I couldn't make that without milk and eggs, and with out someway to warm up the stuff in the cans our only option was to eat it cold. Daryl just reached down and grabbed a can and the can opener not caring about what he grabbed or the fact that it was cold.

Everyone must have heard us because soon the main room was filled with people. I walked out of the cell eating a can of cold butter beans. Those are better cold to me anyways. "Has anyone seen Glenn and Maggie?" Hershel asked and everyone shook their heads. He looked at me and Daryl. "Did they come back from taking a shower last night?" We both just stood there silent. We honestly didn't know. "Well someone has to know."

"They didn't come back." The voice of Axle trickled down to us. "I would have said something but I just figures they were off…you know."

"Thanks Axle." Rick called up to him then turned to us. "No one panic. Daryl, Merle, and George come with me. Lets go see if we could find them." Everyone grabbed their usual weapons and followed Rick.

I grabbed Daryl's hand before he left the room. "Be safe?" I said with pleading eyes and he nodded before he leaned down and quickly pressed a kiss to my lips. He kneeled down to be level with Kasey who was clinging to my leg.

"Ya mind yer ma now munchkin." She nodded at him, tucked her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet. Daryl kissed the top of her head quicker than he had kissed me earlier then stood up. "I'll be back before ya know it." With that he disappeared into the dark hall with a small flashlight in his hands.

**A/N:** Once again so sorry for how short it is, please tell me what you think might have happened to Maggie and Glenn, because hoenstly i have no idea my self and could use the ideas.


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: **The walking Dead is not mine!

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update and I am sorry this chapter is so short, but i have been struggeling with this story. Please review.

**Chapter 38**

Kasey, Carl, Lori, Violet, Greta and I waited silently in the holding area for the three men. The sun was high in the sky when Rick ran towards the locked door and Carl opened it for him quickly. My body grew stiff when walkers slammed into the locked gate and I realized Rick was alone. I think I was in shock because I couldn't make myself ask the questions that needed to be asked. Soon a hysterical Violet started yelling all the things that were running through my head. "Where are they? What happened? Are they okay? Did you find Glenn and Maggie?" Rick just stood there panting with his hands on his knees. "Rick! What the Fuck is going on?!" Her yelling Rick's name snapped me out of whatever daze I was in and I hopped down off of the table. I walked over to Violet and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Vi, ya have to calm down. Getting Hysterical doesn't solve anything." She nodded at me with tear filled eyes. I turned to Kasey who was standing close behind me. "Kasey do me a favor?" she looked at me timidly. "Will ya go to yer cell and stay there until I come and get ya." She had tears wailing up in her eyes.

"Where's Daddy?" Oh god how do I answer that question with out knowing the truth myself?

"I don't know baby, but I want ya to remember something." She never took her eyes off of me. "Yer daddy is a very strong man." I hoped that was good enough. "Now go to yer cell like I asked ya to okay?" She nodded her head and left the room. Once she was out of earshot I turned to Rick and put my hands on my hips. "Rick?" I asked in almost a whisper. Lori was standing behind him with a hand on his back and another oh her slightly swollen belly. She dropped her hand when he finally stood up straight to look at me. I hoped the look on his face wasn't what I thought it was, because it looked defeated and sad. "What happened out there? We need to know."

He ran his hand through his hair while blowing out a breath. "I honestly don't know." He was starting to aggravate me. "We found Glenn and Maggie held up in the cafeteria. They said they were on their way back last night when they were cut off by a group of geeks." Did Glenn not have a weapon on him? "We were on our way back here when everything got Crazy." Violet asked him once again where Merle was. "I don't know. Everyone got split up. I know for sure that Daryl and Merle are together where ever they are. I'm not sure which way Maggie and Glenn went." He got quiet after that and looked at Greta. His eyes were a bit watered and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something only to shut it again. Greta's sobs stung my ears like nails down a chalk board as she sunk to her knees on the floor with her head in her hands. I couldn't make myself move.

George was dead. I couldn't get my head around that. I could only watch as Violet, now calm, walked over to Greta sat down next to her and wrapped her arm around the woman. Lori was the person to pull me out of this daze. "Rick I know you are tired, but you have to go back out there and find them." Rick looked at her like he was going to lash out at her, but instead he turned to me.

"I know you are going to want to go, but your ankle is still too messed up." The rest of the group came into the room at that point, save Kasey who I'm sure was still in the cell. "I'm sure those walkers didn't just come out of a where. Some one is playing games." The look of sadness that was on his face was replaced with anger as he looked over the crowd. "Let me interrogate the prisoners, see what I can find out then T-Dog, Hershel and I will go see what we can do." I didn't care if someone was "playing games" I just wanted Daryl back. I wanted everyone back here, safe and sound like they were supposed to be.

"Rick, do you really think they are going to tell you anything? Besides, what would they know? They've been locked in the cafeteria for months." Rick didn't look amused. I guess he thought I was trying to take over control, but I wasn't. It was my family and my family's family that was lost out there, not his. His family was safe and sound like they were supposed to be. So of coarse he wouldn't be in a rush to get beck out there and find them.

"Lyla let me do my job. No one is stopping you from going out there yourself, but I strongly advise against it." He said it with a warning tone that suggested the direct opposite of what he said. I wanted so bad so say "Oh really jack ass?" but I kept my cocky mouth shut. Instead of talking I simply motioned him to the door into the main room and raised my eyebrows at him giving him a look that seemed to say "Well?"

"What you don't want to talk to them this time?" he asked sarcastically as he walked past me and through the door.

I crossed my arms across my chest and walked behind him. "Nope." I stopped at the base of the stairs as he headed up them. "Just do yer fuckin job and bring my family back." I yelled up at him before I spun on my heel and started walking hastily to Kasey's cell.

"Is dad back?" Kasey asked perking up a little when I entered the cell. He face fell when I told her that he wasn't. "But he will be right?" she asked in a mall scared voice. I shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to say before I sat down on the bed and pulled her into my lap. She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. "Sing the song to me?" I wasn't in the mood to sing, but I wasn't going to tell her no. So I snuggled my head against hers and began to sing.

"Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight." She slid her hand into mine and squeezed it. "I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don't you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here don't you cry." About that time violet came into the doorway of the cell.

"I don't mean to interrupt but Rick wanted me to tell you that he didn't find anything out from the prisoners. They are about to go looking for them. I didn't know if you would want to give T-Dog and Hershel your best wishes before they left." She came in and sat down on the bed.

"Uh, yeah I guess I should. Do you mind sitting here with her for a minute?" I asked and she said she would. I walked out of the cell and into the holding area where Beth was giving Hershel a hug and Lori was talking to T-Dog. I walked slowly over to T-Dog when Lori was finished talking to him and held out my hand. He grabbed it and pulled me into the comforting hug only a friend could give. "Please be safe and bring him back to me." I whispered with closed eyes.

"I'll do my best." He whispered back before he released me and walked to the now walker free exit. I walked over the Hershel as Beth released him.

"I wish there was more I could do than sit around and wait." I told him with pleading eyes and he put his hand on my shoulder. I looked around and saw Rick talking to Lori.

"Don't be mad at him." I looked from Rick to Hershel. "It's not his fault. There is no one to blame here." I let out a huffed breath and put my hand on his. "Besides you would only be putting yourself in danger if you went and we can't have that."

"Yeah I know." I patted his hand then dropped mine to my side. "Enough talk." I turned my back and walked to the doorway to the main room before I turned to look at the three men that stood at the exit. "Y'all be safe out there." They all gave me a single nod and I watched their backs as they walked into the darkness of the hall.

I went back to Kasey and Violet to find them playing a game of go fish. We at there and played different card games for what seemed like hours. Eventually the sun started to set and the men still were not back. The mood around the prison was grim. Violet went to check on Greta while Lori, Beth and I figured out how and what to cook. I was pressing out hot water cornbread patties when I heard the squeaking of a door being pushed open followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. I dropped the corn patty into the bowl before I jumped to my feet and rushed to the holding area with the rest of the group on my heels. I skidded to a halt when I saw him. He was dirty bloody and clearly tired, but what I noticed most was the deep bloody gash on his cheek. Beth ran to Hershel and Maggie, Carl ran to Rick and Violet threw herself into Merles arms. I walked slowly over to Daryl. He took one of my hands in his and pulled me into the biggest tightest hug anyone had ever given me. "Did you get bit?" I whispered quietly in his ear and I felt him shake his head no.

He didn't say anything else, because words were no longer needed. The way he held me at that moment said everything and more. The way one of his hands rested on my head pressing my face into his shoulder and his other arm snaked around my back and gripped my waist holding me against him as he breathed heavily against my neck. These things said it all. The room was clear of people when we finally released each other. He wiped the happy tears off of my cheeks. I smiled at him and he winced when he smirked back. It took his chin in my hand and turned his face so that I could look at the gash on his cheek. "What happened?" I asked with a frown and he told me Rick would explain everything after they all got some rest.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: **Sorry this chapter is a bit short compared to how long they usualy are. any way please R&R. Sending a big thanks to all my reviewers.

**Chapter 39**

Once everyone got rested, hydrated and Hershel stitched up Daryl's Cheek, Rick had everyone gather in the main area. We were standing in a circle waiting to hear what happened out there. As I looked around I noticed that almost everyone had tears falling down their cheeks. At first I thought that they to were morning the loss of George, but as I looked around then I noticed that T-Dog was missing. "Not T-Dog to." I thought to myself as I looked up at Daryl and tightened my grip on his hand. His face remained hard and completely blank. I knew that expression; it was the one he wore when he was trying to hide his feelings from people.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze then looked back at Rick who was pacing in the middle of the circle. I let the tears fall as I watched Rick and silently mourned my lost friends, mostly T-Dog since I had come to know him better than I had George. I felt like if Daryl hadn't been there holding my hand and keeping me grounded that I might have lost it. Other than the occasional sniffling, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Rick continued to pace the floor; his boots tap tap taping as he did. I mentally added agitated to the list of emotions I was feeling along with sad and nervous. I felt like just walking up to him, shaking him and yelling "OUT WITH IT!", but I was actually really afraid that if I did that that someone would seriously get hurt, be it me or him. I also reminded myself that I needed to keep a level head for the little girl that was standing in front of me. She looked up at me and I watched as her eyes flicked nervously between me and Daryl then settled back on Rick. I wrapped my arm protectively around her shoulders and pulled her against me trying to calm her through contact. I let her presence and Daryl's hand in mine anchor me in place.

Finally after what felt like an eternity of watching Rick walk menacingly back and forth, he stopped and took a deep breath. He walked in a circle looking at everyone in the group. "This place is not as safe as we thought it was." He said with authority in his voice. "There are people living in another cell block and apparently," he stopped walking and stared straight at me, "they don't want us here." Was he blaming me for the loss of the two men? He continued circling the group as he spoke. "It's because of them that walkers took George. When we killed the Geeks they released into our part of the prison they came at us hand to hand. They have taken T-Dog hostage." So T-dog is alive. "I don't intend to let them get away with this. If these assholes want a fight then they've got one, because people that deliberately target the living should not be allowed to live." Who the hell made him judge, jury and executioner? Oh yeah, _he_ did. I mentally added anger to my emotion list even though I didn't know if it was directed at Rick, the other people or both. "One of them almost killed Glenn, another sliced open Daryl's cheek in an attempt to decapitate him."

I tore my wide eyes away from Rick to look at Daryl. He was glaring at Rick. I didn't know if he was glaring at him because he didn't want me to know how his cheek got cut or if he was pissed at him for the same reason I was. When Daryl didn't look at me like I was expecting him to I turned my attention back to Rick. I listened numbly as Rick explained that we were pretty much on lockdown until he devised an attack plan. There would be someone guarding all entrances at all times. No one was allowed to go anywhere other than the main room and holding room. We would be permitted to go outside to relieve ourselves as needed, but only if we had someone with us to watch our back.

Later that night after a guard schedule had been drawn up and assignments were given, Daryl and I lounged on our bed. I lay with my head rested on his chest and stared up at the ceiling. I listened to his breathing as I ran my fingers over the coarse diamonds of the necklace. "What ya thinkin bout woman?" he asked in a tired, gruff voice breaking the silence. I flipped over onto my stomach and rose up to look over the edge of the perch. Rick was guarding the doors in the holding room. I rested my chin on Daryl's chest and looked at him.

"Do you like the way Rick is running this group?" I asked in a hushed voice to be sure that Rick couldn't hear.

He seemed to think about it before he shrugged his shoulders. "Guess so." I on the other hand didn't. I had gone over the scenario in my head a million times asking myself what I would do if I was Rick. In none of them had my first reaction been attack. Yeah, they had taken T-Dog hostage and could be torturing him to death right now, but in some cases returning violence wasn't the right answer. All that could lead to was more death in an already diminishing world. "Why?" he asked bringing my thoughts to the present.

"Because I don't." he sat up making me do the same. He gave me a look that told me to keep talking. "I don't think it is right to start a fight with them. We need to get Tee back, but going in with guns a blazin in full attack mode on isn't going to solve anything." He remained quiet with his calculated reasoning face on. "But I know he isn't going to even consider anything I have to say." This was probably true. The man hated me for some reason.

"Why would you say that?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"He is in full on dictatorship mode right now. He isn't going to listen to suggestions right not. Especially if they come from my mouth."

"Why wouldn't he listen to you? Your suggestions have never failed us before."

I ran my fingers through my hair brushing it out of my face. "If you haven't noticed he hates me." He looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. "I noticed it when he came back here without you. The way he looked at me and spoke to me almost made me feel like he thinks I want to take over leadership."

"Well don't you?" how could he ask that? I didn't want Rick's job.

"No." I said shaking my head making my hair sway. "I am going crazy enough just looking after a child and worrying if you are going to be okay every time you walk out those doors. I can't look after a whole group and I haven't pretended to think otherwise." I hadn't realized it but my voice had risen as I spoke and I looked in Rick's direction to make sure he hadn't heard what I was saying. If he had he didn't show it.

"Okay calm down I didn't mean anything by that. I'm just saying, that way ya insisted on talking to the prisoners instead of letting Rick, kinda made it seem like ya thought he didn't know what he was doing." that's not how I wanted that to seem. I guess I didn't realize until then that I had a problem with authority figures.

I took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't want his job. I guess I just like democracy. And I don't think that him thinking I want to take over leadership is the only reason he hates me. Did you see the way he looked at me earlier today when he was telling us his vague version of what all happened?"

"No." he drawled. "How did he look at ya?" for someone so observant he sure did miss a lot.

"I can't explain it, but if looks could kill I'd be a walker right now."

"Well," he laid back down on his back and tucked his hand behind his head, "There's nothing we can do bout it now. Let's get some shut eye." He held his other arm out for me. I gave him a loving kiss before I laid down and he wrapped it around me pulling me tight against is side. I was about to drift into sleep when a small voice made us both jump.

"Can I sleep with ya'll? I'm scared." Kasey asked from the foot of our makeshift bed. I hadn't even heard her come up the stairs. I told her she could, rolled into my side and held the covers up for her. She slid in and snuggled her back against me and quickly drifted off to sleep. I felt Daryl roll over and rap an arm around us both.

I could feel his warm breath on ear. "I've got to teach that little ninja how to hunt." I smiled as he whispered in my ear. He kissed my ear and neck before he nestled his head into my back. "Night love."

"Good night sweetheart." I heard him smirk at me calling him that, but that is exactly what he was. I fell asleep to him rubbing tiny circles on my arm with his thumb.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: **I appoligise that it took me this long to post another chapter, but I have been really busy trying to finish getting my house built before my husband come home. Anyway, please R&R.

**Chapter 40**

**Violets Pov-**

We had only been in the prison for two days and already all hell was breaking loose. I had stood in the circle with everyone else and listened as Rick told us what had happened. The only thoughts that were going through my mind at that time was how grateful I was for Rick and the others for bringing Merle back to me safely, but now that things had settled down and we were on complete lockdown, I was starting to think we should just leave and find somewhere else to live.

At the moment I was lying in our cell entangled in his arms. He was sound sleep, but I on the other hand was wide awake. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that there were other people in this prison that not only wanted us out, but dead. They had tried to kill Daryl and I was glad they had failed, because if they had succeeded then I would no longer have a sister. I knew her well enough to know that if anything ever happened to Daryl that she would choose to end her life as well. Just thinking about that made me want to cry.

I looked at the dirty, muscular arm that was wrapped around me. What would I do if I lost Merle? I would be heartbroken and lost, but I don't think I would choose to end my life if I lost him. That's not what he would want. That was the difference between my sister and me. When life gave her lemons she would squeeze the juice into her cuts, I on the other hand would try to make lemonade. Or at least that's what I would try to do. Rather or not I succeeded might be a different story.

I rolled over and looked at Merles face in the moonlight that was filling our cell from the large window directly across from it. Every time I looked at him if felt like my chest would explode from the amount of love that was being held there. I snuggled tighter into him as I continued to let it sink in that he was still here and still alive. He unconsciously pulled me tighter into him and a small smile spread across his sleeping face. Without thinking about it I kissed his neck and ran my finger tips along his spine.

He grumbled a bit before he opened his eyes and looked at me. "Sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

He swiped my hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear looking into my eyes with his light blue ones. "S'okay. Why aren't ya asleep?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Got too much stuff on my mind. I'm worried about what might happen when Rick decides what he's going to do about these other people." He gently caressed my cheek.

"Don't be. We can handle these ass holes." He kissed my lips. He tried to pull away but I slid my hand behind his head and held him there a bit longer.

He looked into my eyes when I removed my hand and broke the kiss. "I don't know what I would do if it was you in T-dogs place right now." I actually couldn't understand how Rick could just lock down our cell block and leave Tee with those people. I still didn't know Tee that well, but that didn't mean I didn't care about him. He was part of our group and I wanted him back where he is supposed to be.

"Don't think about that. Keep yer mind on the fact that I am right here and I ain't goin anywhere." I answered him with a kiss that quickly turned passionate. He wrapped both of his arms around me and pulled me on top of him. This surprised me because we hadn't had sex since we got here, and I thought it was because even the smallest sound would echo through the prison.

"Merle, what are you doing?" I asked as he pulled my shirt over my head then undid my bra.

He didn't answer my question and as soon as his lips met the peak of my breast I completely for got what it had been in the first place. He let his warm hands glide over my bare back and down to cup my butt. I let out a small moan that only encouraged him. He gripped me by my hips and swiftly stood up. I pulled down his pants and boxers all in one motion and he did the same to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he kissed me and he rested his hands on my waist. I broke away from his lips and started trailing kissed along his neck and collar bone then back up. I nipped at his neck with my teeth. A deep grunt escaped his lips and he ran his hands down to my butt. He gripped it and picked me up. I laced my legs around his waist and he took a few steps forward pressing my back to the rough wall….

Later-

I stood weakly between the wall and Merle. I was breathing hard and my pulse was still racing. Merle surprised me by scooping me up and laying me in the bed. I giggled as he set me on the bed only for me to climb back out of it. When he asked me what I was doing I quickly explained that I wasn't going to sleep in the nude. He rolled his eyes at that and I threw him is boxers which he slipped on without arguing. Once I had on a bra, panties and Merles shirt I climbed into the bed next to him. I snuggled my back into him and he wrapped his arm around me pulling me close. "I love you Merle Dixon."

"I love ya to Violet." I could tell he was already half asleep and I quickly drifted off as well.

When I woke up bright sunlight was streaming into the cell and Merle was still asleep. I turned over to look at him. His face was relaxed making him look much younger. He smiled then opened his eyes. "I had an awesome dream last night." He said still smiling and I asked him was it was about. "We made love. Against that wall over there." He jerked his head in the direction of the wall he held me against and I smiled.

"Merle, that wasn't a dream." I stated and he laughed then pulled me into a kiss.

"I know, but it felt too good to be real." I giggled and got out of bed. I stuck my head out into the main room to see if anyone else was awake. The room was empty so I pulled off merles shirt and put on my last clean shirt and jeans. Merle was still lying in bed so I bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Where ya headed?" he asked as I headed out of the cell.

"I'm going to check on Greta. I'm not sure how she's taking the loss of George." I explained then left the cell and headed to Greta. She was sitting up on her bed with her head in her hands. "Hey, how are you doing" I asked and he looked up at me with a tear stained face. She answered me with a sad shrug. My heart went out to her, because I knew how it felt to suddenly have someone you loved ripped out of your life. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." She didn't reply. "I can go away of you want to be alone." I said getting the feeling that she didn't feel like talking. I was about to walk out when I felt her grab my hand.

"Don't leave. I don't want to be alone." I walked over and sat down on the foot of the bunk. "I just miss him so much." I squeezed her hand trying to convey my condolences. "I just don't understand why god would take him away from me. He was a good man, a strong man. He never even hurt a fly unless it was necessary." She pulled her legs up onto the bed to set Indian style and leaned up against the brick wall at the head of the bunk. I didn't know what to say to her. "I just wish I could have said goodbye." I completely understood where she was coming from. My brother ran away when he got bit. He chose to not say goodbye to his family.

"I know what you mean." I said quietly thinking about my brother.

"Oh god I forgot about Leon. I'm so sor-" I held up my hand stopping her.

"It's fine. Just tell me you won't pull a Cammy on us, because I don't think we could handle loosing another member of this group." She surprised me by sending me a weak smile.

"I'm not crazy like her. I know my husband wouldn't want me to end my life just because he isn't here. Its hard as hell but I think I can manage it." This woman had to be the strongest women on earth. She had just lost her husband yet she could bounce back so quickly.

"How do you do it?" I asked without meaning to and she gave me another small smile.

"I have faith."

"Faith?" I asked confused. "In what?"

She patted me on the knee. "In god, in life, and in the fact that this world will eventually rise from the ashes and become great." I had never believed in any type of higher power before, and even though this woman was incredibly strong I still couldn't make myself believe.

Soon the words "Group meeting" echoed though the prison ending our conversation. We all stood in a group like the day before. Merle was at my side with his arm wrapped around my waist. He looked incredibly unhappy. I was going to ask him what was wrong, but Rick chose that particular moment to start talking as he stood in the middle of the circle. The look on Merle's face was worrying me, but he gave me a nod in Rick's direction and I turned my attention to the leader.

"We are not leaving this prison." He said simply as he looked at the faces in the circle. "We fought for it and we spilled blood." He once again gave my sister a look that I didn't understand. "We are not going to attack. Not today anyway. Our mission today is to simply get T-dog back." He was still pacing the group and he stopped facing Merle and I then turned to look at Lyla. "Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, Merle," Rick turned to face us again and Merle's grip on my waist tighten pulling me tightly to his side, "and Violet will go with me to bring him back." My eyes went wide. Rick smiled at me and I felt Merle's muscles tense further. Why was he doing this? Why did he want me to go with them I wasn't exactly the best fighter and I would be useless in hand to hand combat. "The rest of you will stay here and hold down the fort." He said then walked into the holding room and started gathering up weapons. The group dispersed leaving only Merle Daryl Lyla and I in the main room.

I turned to stand face to face with Merle. "Why does he want me to go?" Merle's face was red with anger that he was refusing to voice.

"To put me in my place I'm assuming." I turned at the sound of Lyla's voice and gave her a questioning look.

"What are you talking about?" Merle asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm pretty sure Rick thinks that I want to overthrow him or something." She explained. "I don't obviously, but I'm pretty sure he I putting you in danger to see if I will step up and do something about it."

"Are you?" I asked out of fear and I felt Merle come to my side and place a hand on my hip repeating my question.

Something in her face looked off as she spoke. "No." I repeated her answer making it a question. "Yeah, no. I am not going to give him the satisfaction. You are good with your bow and I know Merle will keep you safe." She looked at Merle. "No pressure." He snorted at her then took my hand and pulled me away from my sister to a distant corner of the room.

"Look I don't want ya to go and I know ya don't want to go, but yer sister is right." I gaped at him and he let out a sad sounding sigh. "She can't stand up to Rick without him thinking that she wants to take over his job. I can protect ya and ya can stay out of the line of fire." I couldn't believe he was agreeing with her and letting me go with them, but if Merle thought it was best I would make myself go with it.

I sighed and rested my head on his chest. "Fine." I mumbled then looked up at him. "I'll go with you. Like I have a choice in the matter." I mumbled the last sentence under my breath and Merle let out a sigh of his own before we walked to the holding area and started picking out our weapons. I chose a small but still sharp ax to go along with my bow that I had gotten used to using over the months. Once every one was set Carl unlocked the gate and let us into the hallway then locked up behind us. I took a deep breath not knowing what was going to happen when we got to where the other people were staying.

A/N: Sorry this was so short. I know this wasn't my best work.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N:** Hi everyone. I am so sorry for the entirely too long wait, but there has been a lot of stuff going on. My mother was in the hospital the entire time my husband was home and after he left we found out that her breast cancer has returned, after being cancer free for ten years. I have been helping take care of her after her chemo treatments, so I haven't had much time to write. I am sorry this chapter is so short, but I hope y'all enjoy it anyways.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

**Chapter 41**

**Violets Pov-**

The hall was poorly lit and I kept steeping on the back of Merle's feet as we made our way down the maze of hallways. "Would ya calm down woman?" Merle asked getting a bit aggravated with me and I took a deep breath trying to make myself relax. It didn't work. How was I supposed to calm down when anything could go wrong at any moment? I wasn't a fighter, yeah I could kill a walker but a living person was another story. I didn't even know if I would be able to keep myself together enough to even kill a biter at the moment.

I was about to ask Merle how much further we had to go before we came to a gate that was guarded by a big African American man. He had a Dark beard and held a hammer in his hands at his sides. "What are you people doing here?" he asked looking behind him as if he was scared of whoever else may be in there with him.

"We came for our man." Rick said adding a great amount of authority to the simple statement. "Things would be a lot easier if ya'll would just hand him over and let us be on our way."

The man stared at us through narrowed eyes. "Then what? You people come back and release more walkers on us? I don't think so." I looked at Rick studying his face, he looked confused.

"You released those walkers on us." The black guy scratched his head looking over his shoulder again. "You are the ones that attacked us not the other way around." Next thing we knew a guy had a gun pointed at our faces.

"Dude put it down their not here to fight." We never said those words exactly but none of us pointed that out. The man kept his gun on us not paying one bit of attention to the black man. "I'm serious man. Put that thing down." The man cut his eyes over at the black guy and kept the gun raised.

"Just give us our man and we will get out of your way." Rick spoke calmly holding his hands up in surrender. The big man stepped in front of the gun when he didn't put his gun down.

"Look man there doesn't have to be any trouble. Just give them what they want. We have no reason to hold that man here." The man finally put down the gun but he replaced it with yelling.

"No reason!? They released walkers into the halls, tried to kill us and we have no reason to punish them? My son almost got bit I just lost his mother I can't loose him to!" I turned around when I heard the gurgle of a lone walker. I squealed before I remembered the knife in my hand and plunged it into the things eye socket. Before I knew it more were coming from a hallway further back, a hallway we had just came from.

"Guys we have a problem." That got Rick's attention.

"Let us in there." He said to the guy that was holding a gun on us just seconds ago.

"I don't think I will." The walkers were getting closer and Merle pushed me behind him knowing that I was probably too freaked out to do anything. I could hear Merle killing what walkers he could as they neared us and that was enough to make me join in pleading along with Rick and Glenn as Merle and Daryl held off the walkers.

"Look we didn't attack you people but someone is clearly attacking us right now and I don't intend on dieing today." The man just ignored me and Rick picked up where I left off.

"If you people don't let us in our blood is going to be on your hands." I was crying at this point as I banged my palm against the bars looking at the big man with the beard.

"Please let us in." with that the man snatched the keys from the skinny white man and opened the gait letting us flood in before he quickly shut it. Walkers scratched at the gait sticking their arms through the bars. The two unknown men were arguing as we all caught our breath from the near death experience. Merle wiped at my tears telling me I was going to be okay. I knew I was going to be okay, I was with him after all. He gave me space when I stopped crying once my mind got caught of with everything that just happened anger set in. "You stupid son-of -a bitch!" I ran at the white man full force taking him off guard as I shoved him against the wall by his neck. I would have choked him if I hadn't been pulled off of him.

I knew it wasn't Merle that pulled me off of him, because Merle would have just let me kill the man or at least put him to sleep. It was Rick. I shook him off angrily and Merle walked up behind me and grabbed my waist pulling me into him and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. He didn't to look like he was restraining me, but he was and I could tell he did it to let me know he loved me and was proud of me. "You need to learn to control that damn temper." Rick pointed at me then at Merle. "Control your woman for Christ sake." I made an attempt to get at Rick but Merle tightened his grip on me holding me back.

"Easy tiger. He's not the enemy here." He whispered in my ear and I looked up at him.

"Are you sure?" He just smirked at me and we turned our attention to what Rick was saying.

"And you." He pointed at the skinny man. I took a little pride in myself as he rubbed at his already bruising neck. "Just give us our man."

"Allen, Tyreese? What's going on?" a girl with a frizzy bun walked out from around a corner followed by a young boy.

"Just take Ben back to the cells. We will be there in a minute." The big man told her and she looked at him with fear in his eyes. "No." She walked over to the big man and pulled him over to the corner. They began whispering and soon came to a conclusion before she headed back to the cells.

"Allen," the white guy was holding the gun on us again and resisted when Tyreese tried to make him put it down. "There's not need for this." Allen glared at Tyreese, but finally put the gun down. "We are giving them what they want." About that time the girl appeared with a cuffed T-Dog. Tyreese undid the cuffs and pushed him towards us. T-Dog looked perfectly fine other than his face being a little pink like he had been punched. If he was mad at them for leaving him behind he wasn't showing it. "Take your man and be on your way."

Rick nodded and headed for the door. He, Glenn and Daryl started killing the walkers through the bars. I on the other hand wasn't ready to leave. I wiggled out of Merle's arms and walked over to Tyreese. "I just have one question for you." He looked interested so I continued to talk. "If you people didn't release walkers on us and we didn't turn them loose on you then where did they come from?" he looked like he was really thinking about it. "There were no walkers in those halls before, our men cleaned them out." I was aware that Merle was standing close behind me.

"I said take your man and be on your way." Allen spoke up but was self-consciously rubbing his neck again. "That doesn't mean stick your nose in our business."

"Was I talking to you?" I sent a cold glare in his direction and he backed down. I snorted "Coward."

"Look here you little bitch-" Allen was cut off by the impact of Merle's fist across his face. Tyreese turned his attention back to me.

"I don't know where they came from. We made sure those halls were clean to." Rick, Glenn and Daryl walked up at that time joining our conversation. "I promise you, we didn't let those things in this building." I don't know why but I believed him, he did save us after all.

"Here's the deal," Rick spoke up "You people stick to your cell block and we will stick to ours. You don't bother us and we won't bother you." We all just looked at him. Did he not care where those walkers came from? "Deal?"

"Deal." Tyreese agreed and walked us to the exit. "We won't bother your people." I trusted that he would stick to that agreement, but I didn't know if his friends would. We all stepped around the mass of dead walkers that was at the base of the door and headed back to our side of the prison. Everyone was talking to T-dog when we walked past the hall that the walkers had appeared from. I didn't even know what had happened when I was pulled away from the rest of the group. I tried to scream, but the hand around my mouth muffled the sound.

Someone was holding me from behind so I couldn't see who. They were strong, whoever they were. My feet ended up dragging across the concrete as I was pulled backward down the hall and into a dark, random room.

**Talitha's Pov-**

I was pacing the room awaiting the returned of the people I loved. "You really need to sit down. You're aggravating your ankle." Hershel spoke calmly from the corner of the holding area where he and his daughters sat reading together.

"I don't want to sit down. They should be back already, why aren't they back?" I knew I was freaking out but I couldn't help it. They had been gone longer than they should have been. Had Daryl been hurt? Had Merle or Violet? I had managed to make myself stand still, but I couldn't stop the tap tap taping of my foot on the floor.

"Sing." Greta spoke softly knowing that it would calm my nerves if I did, but I shook my head no stubbornly not feeling like singing. She walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulder in a way only a loving wise woman could do. "You've got to get your nerves together," she spoke quietly, "for her." He nodded toward Kasey who was sitting off to the side of where I had been pacing. The little girl sent me a small smile when I looked at her. I nodded to Greta and went to sit beside Kasey.

Greta was right, if Kasey thought that I was worried then she would be to. I put my arm around her and pulled her into my side. I had to remember that I couldn't let myself fall apart at the drop of a hat like I used to. I had to be a good role model for a little girl. I had to me more like my mother. "Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon." Kasey spoke the mantra quietly as she patted me on my knee. The girl could act so grown up sometimes. Kasey had just stood up when the group led by Rick busted through the gait.

They were out of breath and I instantly realized they were short one very important person. I didn't have to ask for Rick to step up and explain. "We don't know where she went. One second she was behind us the next she was gone. A bunch of walkers appeared we had to come back here." That wasn't explanation enough. It was his fault she was out there in the first place I charged at him, but Daryl quickly caught me around the waist and spun me around. I didn't know why he was protecting Rick, but I didn't care. That fact that he was gave me reason to halt.

All I could do was stare at him wishing that his head would burst into flames. We all just stood there until it hit me that we needed to be doing something other than just standing around. Merle looked like he was ready to kill Rick himself and I could only imagine what was going through his head right now. "Ya'll have to go look for her." Rick gave me a quick nod. "I would help, but obviously I can't." I motioned to the foot that I wasn't standing on. He got on the ball after that.

"Tee, Merle, Glenn, and Daryl are going to help me. Right?" he turned expectantly to the people he named and none of them disagreed, but Merle still looked like he was going to tear Rick's head off. "Alright let's go." He said grabbing his gun and machete off of the table where he had set it when he walked in. Maggie clung to Glenn before he headed to the entrance and Daryl grabbed me by my shoulders bending a bit to look me in the eyes.

"We will find her, don't worry." He kissed me lightly "Take care of Munchkin while I'm gone." He hugged me tight and bent down to Kasey who was standing at our sides. "I love you, be good." I heard her say something to him, but I couldn't make it out. He smiled at her and tussled her hair. He stood back up kissed me one more time then went to the door where the others were waiting on him. Then they were gone, back into the dangerous halls.

**Violets Pov-**

I had been blindfolded, gagged and my hands had been tied behind my back. The man that kept talking to me sounded Latino and pissed. He kept rambling about how the boss was going to be pissed. Who was he and what was he talking about? I tried to move to a sitting position and got a hard slap to the face when I did. All I could do was kick as I cried out a muffled sound of pain. "Shut up you little bitch." My bow that had been on my back had been removed and my knife was now being held to my throat. "You move without permission you die. Got it. I was too afraid to nod so I hummed a sound of understanding and the knife was removed from my throat. "Now get up." He grabbed my arm and pulled me from the ground.

The door opened and closed. "Walkers are gone. Let's get her back to the Governor." The male voice said and the door opened again. This time I was allowed to walk. I considered trying to break free from them, but I didn't know how risky it would be considering I couldn't see a damn thing and I didn't have hands to protect myself. There was a hand on each of my arms both were distinctly different from each other so I was able to pin point the locations of the two men. I hatched a plan in my head; I was not going to willingly go with these people. If there were going to take me they were going to have to fight me.

I suddenly slammed as hard as I could into the person on my right and kicked at the other person guessing where they had went after he let go of my arm. I screamed as loud as possible around the gritty cloth in my mouth hoping the other were looking for me and could hear me. I screamed and fought missing my targets and causing more damage to myself then them. "Violet." I heard my name bouncing off the walls of the hall and continued to scream my head off.

"Shut her up dumb ass!" Next thing I knew there was a sharp pain in head before my world went black.


End file.
